Dearborn Heights article - City chosen as location for a movie

Interesting blurb about them filming a bank robbery for the film....

http://pressandguide.com/articles/2010/07/13//news/doc4c3c97605ed03040986689.txt

City chosen as location for a movie

DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Filming of scenes for a movie starring Gerard Butler will be shot this month in the city.

City Council passed an emergency ordinance June 22 to allow the filming.

The film, “Machine Gun Preacher”, is being directed by Marc Forster. Michelle Monaghan and Michael Shannon are also cast for the movie.

The movie is the story of Sam Childers, a former drug dealer who turns to religion and becomes a crusader for Sudanese children who’ve been forced to become soldiers.

Ronald Amen, Community and Economic Development Department director, said the filming in Dearborn Heights will only take about half a day at an unannounced location. A local company will do the filming, he said. He said the working title of the film may change.

Mayor Dan Paletko said the scenes planned for Dearborn Heights will be set in a bank and will depict a bank robbery.
The rest of the movie will be filmed in other locations.

Paletko said he wants to be cautious about revealing when and where filming takes place, because if too many residents flood the area the production could decide to film elsewhere.

Many people could show up just to try and see Butler, he said. While he’s not personally familiar with Butler, he said the actor is popular among many women.

The ordinance council passed is a framework for issuing licenses for films and related production activities, and the regulation of these licenses. Both the Police and Fire departments need to review the licenses. The council set the cost for a license at $500.

Since the ordinance’s approval Wayne County advised the city this fee is too high, Paletko said, and recommended a more competitive fee between $100-200. He said he is going to recommend that council consider changing the fee.

The emergency approval of the ordinance, which included motions suspending its first and second reading, all passed 6-1 with Councilwoman Janet Badalow voting no.

Badalow said it’s good someone wants to come into the city to film, but council generally spends a lot of time going over an ordinance.

Councilwoman Marge Horvath said she wanted to know why this situation came up so suddenly.

The mayor said the production company wanted to do it at this time, and it was recommended the city have the ordinance in place just in case. He said it’s good business for the city and he expects more activity for other movies in the future.

Oh, they are going to be quiet this time...good for them.

They probably didn't realize that even in Michigan, they'd have a crowd.