Lights, camera, Bucks County: New film continues string of movies filmed here

Damon C. Williams, Bucks County Courier Times
Updated ·4 min read

Bucks County continues to be a prime location for filmmakers, and the release early next year of "When the Moon Was Twice as Big" will feature the region.

Filmmaker Bill Jacobs filmed the movie in Bucks County, and tells the story of an astronomy-loving child from 1969 who, 40 years later, is facing a midlife crisis around choosing between essentially growing up or pursuing a childhood dream.

"When the Moon Was Twice as Big" was filmed in Bucks County and will be released next year. It follows as a young boy in 1969 and an adult in 2009. That character is Jack Robertson, portrayed by Sammy Curcuru at age ten during the first half of the film, and by Paul Hickert as Jack turns 50 during the second half.
"When the Moon Was Twice as Big" was filmed in Bucks County and will be released next year. It follows as a young boy in 1969 and an adult in 2009. That character is Jack Robertson, portrayed by Sammy Curcuru at age ten during the first half of the film, and by Paul Hickert as Jack turns 50 during the second half.

There have been other great movies filmed in Buck County, and here is a list you can binge through during the upcoming long fall and winter nights.

Recent movies 'About James,' 'Freak,' Off-Time' and 'Watchtower' filmed in Bucks County

Several movies were filmed in Bucks County in recent years:

  • About James is a 2022 short about race and relationships. Directed by Alice Weber, 'About James' focuses on two patrons of a book store that meet 50 years later. "About James" was filmed in Newtown at the Cafe con Leche, the Newtown Book and Record Exchange and the Newtown Bookshop.

  • Freak, a horror flick released by filmmaker and Philadelphia native Bianca Crespo in 2022, sticks to its roots, as the backwoods of Bucks County feature prominently in this film. In 'Freak,' Ava, a Los Angeles-based writer, seeks recluse in cabin in rural Bucks County, only to be followed by the horror which made her flee from California to begin with. A potion of "Freak" was also filmed in Philadelphia.

  • Jersey Justice, a 2014 thriller directed by filmmaker John Charles Hunt, is a tale about a widow who is hellbent on revenge after witnessing her husband's murder. Scenes from "Jersey Justice" were also filmed in nearby Landsdale, in Ocean City and other parts of New Jersey, and in Philadelphia.

  • Nestor, filmed in 2022, is a Zachary Sharma-directed short drama/comedy that tells the story of recluse discovering on obsessive group of his fans who call themselves his personal fan club. Nestor was filmed entirely in Bucks County.

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  • Off-Time, directed by native Philadelphian Robert L. Mickles (who also directed 'Columbus Day,' 'Invincible' and 'Playing Cupid'), is a tale about a middling actor in Los Angeles who turns to alcohol and his troubled new girlfriend. Legendary hip-hop icon Rakim has a role in this film. "Off-Time" was also filmed in Maryland, New Jersey and Philadelphia.

  • Watchtower, directed by Andrey Nikiforov and released in 2022 is a mystery involving a marketing agent receiving a mysterious package. Aside from filing in Bucks County, scenes for "Watchtower" were also shot at Philadelphia International Airport and at Homegrown Coffee and Creations, located in South Philadelphia.

  • The Wicked Ones, directed by Sean Roberts and released in 2014, also plays up regional realities by telling the tale of two brothers trying to survive in and escape from the South Philly's criminal underworld. The exteriors for "The Wicked Ones" were shot in Bucks County, while all the exterior filming occurred in Philadelphia.

According to the Internet Movie Database, there have been more than 50 movies filmed in Bucks County, including the first one: 'Strawhat Cinderella,' was a short film released in 1949, and takes viewers on a behind- the-scenes look at catching big breaks in theater, and the summer production runs of the time at the Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope.

Visit Bucks County also has a list of movies filmed in Bucks County.

M. Night Shyamalan catalog of movies shot almost exclusively in the Bucks County region

Filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan has relied on and featured Bucks County in several of his films.

"Lady in the Water," which Shyamalan released in 2006, was filmed in Levittown, while 2002's "Signs" was filmed at several locations in Bucks County, including Newtown.

"Lady in the Water" is one of several movies directed by M. Night Shyamalan that were filmed in Bucks County.
"Lady in the Water" is one of several movies directed by M. Night Shyamalan that were filmed in Bucks County.

"Signs," starring Mel Gibson Joaquin Phoenix, centers around a father-and-son duo who explore mysterious signs that appear in the crop fields on their land.

Portions of "Signs" were filmed at Delaware Valley College and in Doylestown, Morrisville and Newtown.

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Other movies by Shyamalan that were filmed in the Delaware Valley include "Knock at the Cabin" (filmed in Burlington and Tabernacle in New Jersey); "Glass" (filmed at the Allentown State Hospital and the Ontario Street Comic Book Shop in Philadelphia); "Split" (filmed at the Philadelphia Zoo, Fisherman Restaurant Phoneixville and at Sun Center Studios in Aston); "Twelve Monkeys," (Filmed at several locations in Philadelphia, including Eastern State Penitentiary, Girard College and Wanamaker's); and "Unbreakable" (also filmed at iconic Philadelphia locations, including Franklin Field on the University of Pennsylvania's campus, the Ontario Street Comic Book Shop, and throughout Manayunk).

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Films shot in Bucks County as 'When the Moon Was Twice as Big' releases