RESIDENTS lined the streets of Ramsbottom late into the night to try to catch a glimpse of Hollywood stars shooting a feature film in the town.
A major scene from new film A Monster Calls, featuring Liam Neeson and Sigourney Weaver, was shot in Bridge Street at the weekend.
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The scene involved a car hurrying to get to a hospital appointment only to be stopped by the crossing for the East Lancashire Railway as a train passes.
Resident Chris Coates.
He said: “We have had a wander around and haven’t seen any sign of Liam or Sigourney but it is nice to see everyone out enjoying the atmosphere. It is definitely a good thing for the town to have such a big film being shot here.”
Sara Roscoe added: “I have lived in Rammy for six years and there always seems to be something going on here – it would be great to see Liam Neeson.”
A Monster Calls is a fantasy film based on the best-selling novel by Patrick Ness which centres on a young boy called Conor who is struggling to cope with the death of his mother and is being bullied at school.
To escape his troubles he ventures into a fantasy world and is visited by a storytelling monster.
Sigourney Weaver, famous for her role as Ellen Ripley in the Alien film series, plays Conor’s grandmother and Liam Neeson, known for roles in films such as Taken and Schindler’s List, will feature as the monster who visits Conor, who is played by youngster Lewis MacDougall.
The film, which will not reach cinemas until 2016, is being directed by Juan Antonio Bayona, known for films including The Orphanage.
Earlier this month, scenes for the movie were also shot near the top of Rivington Pike.
That location was chosen due to its the ‘fairytale-like’ structures on the hillside.
Before the filming in Ramsbottom on Sunday evening, crews used hoses to spray much of Bridge Street with water to give the effect of a heavy downpour of rain.
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