Action thriller film shoot earlier this summer brought big Hollywood names to Merritt, TNRD

Hollywood comes to Merritt

Major movie stars were working in Merritt and the Thompson-Nicola Regional District this summer for an action thriller film that’s expected to be released in 2027.

In a post to social media, the City of Merritt said action thriller film Runaway was filmed in the city and region this summer. The film stars Josh Duhamel, James Franco, Paula Patton, and Summer H. Howell.

Thompson-Nicola film commissioner Terri Hadwin told Castanet earlier this summer the film shot in Merritt, the Lac Le Jeune area, Maple Ridge and wrapped in Hell’s Gate in July.

“As film activity continues to grow across the region, productions like Runaway help showcase the Thompson-Nicola’s appeal as a destination for film and television projects,” the film commission said in a social media post last month.

Stunts performed for the action movie prompted a public notice from the City of Merritt.

Duhamel was spotted by Kamloops-Thompson-Nicola MP Frank Caputo in June. Later in July, Duhamel posted a video from the Hells Gate Airtram praising the region’s scenery.

Hadwin said the film is expected to be released next year.

She said there has been a flurry of film and television productions shooting in the TNRD, the busiest summer she’s seen since starting her role in 2022. Four major projects were shooting concurrently in mid-June.