Photo credit to Janelle Montague

No, don’t worry, the Marauders aren’t changing their name to the Eagles. Rather, the Ron Joyce football stadium has been home to a Disney Channel film crew for the past week.

Disney and the McMaster administration are being tight-lipped regarding production details, but a Global News article confirms that an alternative title for the film is How to Build a Better Boy and that the plot revolves around a group of teenagers and an android prototype that they’ve stolen, that turns out to be more dangerous than they were prepared for. The cast includes young Disney stars China Anne McClain, Noah Centineo, Kelli Berglund and Matt Shively.

Working under the name Paris, as crew signs around campus detail, the scene being shot revolves around a football game at a fictional McMaster High School. Allegedly, when Disney arrived on campus, they liked the McMaster name and eagle logo so much that they sought and received permission to use it, and re-wrote the script to incorporate the McMaster name.

The shoots, which have largely been happening over night, began last Friday, August 2, and are set to wrap on Friday, August 9. If the weather is uncooperative, however, this time frame is likely to be extended.

Filming on campus is typically allowed from May through August only, so as not to interrupt the regular undergraduate academic sessions. Previous films to have been shot at McMaster include American Pie sequels, Max Payne and Casino Jack.

The cast and crew of the RoboCop remake are in Hamilton to shoot scenes for the film, which will come out in 2013.

Yesterday, local residents lined up along James Street North and Colbourne to watch the rain towers at work for special effects.

The film crew will be shooting scenes from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. on Sept. 26, 29 and 30, as well as Oct. 1. On those days, James St. N. will be closed off to traffic between Barton St. and Cannon St. from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. Businesses will remain open and locals are welcome to drop by during filming, which is expected to bring $350,000 to the city.

The cast of the science fiction action film includes Samuel L. Jackson, Gary Oldman and Michael Keaton.

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