Mark Wahlberg Shoots Scene from ‘Patriots Day’ at Watertown Gas Station

The crowd gathered across the Main Street had a hard time seeing who was the focus of all the cameras and bright lights, but when the unmistakable voice rang out, it was clear it was Boston’s own Mark Wahlberg – star of the Boston Marathon Bombing film “Patriots Day.” In the scene that was being shot on Monday night, Wahlberg rushes out of the gas station and yells about something going on in “Watertown.” Then he jumped into a silver sedan and peels out of the gas station and headed east on Main Street. The Main Street Mobile gas station at Main Street and Waverley Avenue stood in for a gas station in Cambridge. The police cars parked in front bore Cambridge Police name, not Watertown.

Watertown Scenes in ‘Patriots Day’ to be Shot in MetroWest Suburb

Filmmakers will recreate the Watertown Shootout and the scene around the boat where Dzhohkar Tsarnaev was captured will be shot in Framingham. The shooting of “Patriots Day” has hit top gear, and WBZ-TV Channel 4 reports that the town in the MetroWest will be the stand-in for Watertown. Originally, filmmakers wanted to used the same streets where Watertown Police battled the Boston Marathon Bombers as the scene for their film, but the idea had some strong opposition in town and Town officials decided to pass on the opportunity. David Henneberry, the owner of the boat, told the Boston Herald he had no interest in participating in the film. Forced to look for a new spot, they chose Framingham.

See Who Will Play Boston Mayor Menino in ‘Patriots Day’

The makers of the movie chronicling the events around the Boston Marathon Bombings announced the latest casting choice, Vincent Curatola who will portray Boston Mayor Tom Menino. Curatola, who is known for his work on The Sopranos and The Good Wife, joins Boston-native and Academy Award-nominee Mark Wahlberg (The Departed, Lone Survivor), Golden Globe-winner John Goodman (10 Cloverfield Lane, Inside Llewyn Davis, Argo), Academy Award-Winner J.K. Simmons (Whiplash, Zootopia) and Jimmy O. Yang (Silicon Valley, Criminal Minds) in Patriots Day. The film will be directed by Peter Berg (Deepwater Horizon, Lone Survivor) and produced by Scott Stuber, Mark Wahlberg, Hutch Parker, Dylan Clark, Stephen Levinson, Dorothy Aufiero and Michael Radutzky. Patriots Day will be co-financed by CBS Films and Lionsgate with the former handling production and marketing and the latter handling distribution.

See Who John Goodman Will Play in ‘Patriots Day,’ Release Date Announced

CBS Films and Lionsgate announced that Golden Globe-winner John Goodman (10 Cloverfield Lane, Inside Llewyn Davis, Argo) will join Academy Award-Winner J.K. Simmons (Whiplash, Zootopia) and Academy Award-nominee Mark Wahlberg (The Departed, Lone Survivor) in Patriots Day, the film company announced. The film will be directed by Peter Berg (Deepwater Horizon, Lone Survivor) and produced by Scott Stuber, Mark Wahlberg, Hutch Parker, Dylan Clark, Stephen Levinson, Dorothy Aufiero and Michael Radutzky. Patriots Day chronicles the events surrounding the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing. Goodman will play former Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis.  Commissioner Davis played an integral role in working with the FBI, Watertown Police Department, Boston Police Department, Massachusetts State Police and local first responders to track, identify and apprehend the suspected bombers. “Commissioner Davis is an American hero, and John Goodman brings the extraordinary combination of humility, gravitas and empathy to portray him,” commented Berg.

LETTER: Resident Opposes Filming Recreation of Watertown Shootout

Dear Mr. Driscoll and Councilors Sideris, Dattoli, Falkoff, Palomba, Kounelis, Feltner, Piccirilli, Woodland, and Dushku,

I am writing to oppose the re-creation and filming of gun battle scenes for the movie “Patriots Day” on Laurel Street in Watertown. I live near-by on Boylston Street — close enough that my husband heard the sound of the shootout as it happened, close enough to be woken by the sounds of helicopters over my house that night. When I learned that the five nights of filming planned on Laurel Street within ear shot of my home would be loud, including gunshots until midnight, I felt angry and anxious. I wondered — who would allow this to happen in our town?! As I learned more, I felt the tears fill my eyes.

Emotional Responses to News of Filming at Site of Watertown Shootout

News that Watertown that film producers want to shoot a re-enactment of the Watertown Shootout on the same streets where it happened, complete with late night simulated gunshots, was met with an outpouring of emotions from town residents – mostly negative but some strongly backing it. This month, CBS Films has been meeting with residents of Laurel Street about the filming of “Patriots Day,” a film starring Mark Wahlberg which would recreate the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombings, including the shootout with the bombers in Watertown. The schedule calls for closing off Laurel Street for a few days, including three nights when the filming would include re-enactments complete with gunfire as late as midnight. Watertown residents reacted on the Watertown News Facebook page, and on the comment section of Monday’s story. Many reactions on Facebook were negative, such as, “Who wants to relive this.