Specifically, Celia at 5th and Spring encountered bright lights and late nights thanks to "Spider Man 3," which shot in and around the Alexandria Hotel. Meanwhile, "Mission Impossible 3" took over parts of downtown and made it over to look like Shanghai. Blogdowntown's Eric took this shot:
This week's Downtown News picks up on the filming trend:
No less than three major blockbusters - all third installments in big-revenue franchises - have been shot Downtown within the last two months. Not surprisingly, they have also resulted in gun battles, wild helicopter scenes and high-speed car chases unfolding across the Financial District and the Historic Core, among other neighborhoods.
Perhaps the biggest Downtown buzz came from Mission: Impossible 3, which shot for eight consecutive days on lower Grand Avenue near the Museum of Contemporary Art in early October. Though a Paramount spokesman said the film's specific locations and set details were being kept under tight wrap, many who drove or walked near the area, and later around Fourth and Flower streets for several more days in late October, noticed an attention-grabbing streetscape kitted out to look like Shanghai. Observers also noted faux subway and pedestrian signs in Chinese. The action film, starring Tom Cruise, is set to premiere in May 2006.
Like Mission: Impossible 3, The Fast and the Furious 3 transformed lower Grand Avenue between Third and Fourth streets into a Tokyo drag strip. Through October and November, bright lights suspended from cranes drew curious crowds to watch as slick racecars maneuvered at breakneck speeds. The film will continue to shoot after the first of the year along Wilshire Boulevard in Downtown.
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