On Monday morning, Marietta looked quite different than usual; red, white, and blue signs could be seen through windows throughout downtown, and a massive banner hung over the Glover Park bandstand. Each sign and banner that adorned the town had the same clear message: “Trump 2016.”
But political fever has not gripped Marietta; rather, the wholehearted public support of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump seen in Marietta Square this week is all Hollywood.
According to an article in the Marietta Daily Journal, extras numbering in the hundreds and a swarm of crew members took over the downtown area the morning of August 22, remodeling the Georgia town into a massive political rally for the purpose of shooting the upcoming film “The Leisure Seeker.”
The film, directed by Italian Paolo Virzi, will star Donald Sutherland and Helen Mirren as a couple on a cross-country adventure from Boston to Florida, Variety reports.
Marietta’s remodeling began just before 5 a.m. as crew members began covering the town in memorabilia in support of Trump and his running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence.
Even the landmark Strand Theatre displayed the words “Trump-Pence” on its temporarily marquee sign, accompanying the message with a blue background and several red stars.
Sutherland, Mirren, and others were in the square from about 7 a.m. until noon, shooting for the film.
Businesses in the square were still open during shooting, and the streets were open, though traffic was heavily controlled.
Marietta’s experience is nothing new in the state of Georgia. In fact, Georgia is becomingly an increasingly popular shooting location for a variety of films and television shows.
According to a press release from the office of Governor Nathan Deal, the 248 movies and T.V. shows produced in Georgia between 2014 and 2015 brought more than $6 billion to the state in terms of jobs and spending.