Film shoots injected about $863,000 into Cambridge economy in 2022

How do you follow up a record-breaking year? By matching it.

After 75 days of filming in Cambridge in 2021 — more than a 250 per cent increase from previous years — the city had 72 filming days in 2022 after staff fielded 55 film inquiries. The film shoots had an economic impact of $863,000, said Invest Cambridge.

That financial injection meant another boon year for the city, as Hulu series “The Handmaid’s Tale” arrived multiple times to film scenes for its final season in downtown Galt and Hespeler, while shooting for “Longing,” a new Richard Gere movie, brought a throng of onlookers to the Main Street bridge in October.

As well, “Hello Stranger,” starring Jordana Brewster and Simu Liu, filmed in March on Blackbridge Road and the Disney Plus TV pilot, “Witch Mountain,” dropped into Galt and Hespeler in November.

“Murdoch Mysteries,” which is no stranger to the city, also returned for more shooting.

“We’re really happy with our 2022 results, especially coming out of the COVID,” said James Goodram, the city’s director of economic development.

Success, he added, can be measured by the number of days of filming, and well as the money spent at city businesses.

“In some other places they use the production cost and a multiplier effect to show the economic impact. What we’ve tried to do to be conservative here is actually ask the companies, ‘What are you spending within the city of Cambridge?’ — things like catering, hotel stays, any rentals, any rental equipment, etc.” Goodram explained.

Cambridge has also been able to capitalize on using a variety of areas to lure productions.

While downtown Galt, with its historic look, tends to see the most action, Forbes Estate has been used for scenes in “The Handmaid’s Tale,” and downtown Hespeler was a backdrop for “Witch Mountain.”

In 2021, two seasons of the Food Network’s “Fire Masters” filmed in Preston. That injected $250,000 into the local hospitality sector, and the crew donated 725 kilograms of food to the Cambridge Food Bank.

In Blair, productions have filmed at Langdon Hall.

The 2003 film “Cold Creek Manor,” with Sharon Stone, Dennis Quaid and Stephen Dorff, and 2010’s “Red,” with Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren and Morgan Freeman, were shot at Cruickston Park.

One production the city could rely on year in and year out since its first season was “The Handmaid’s Tale,” which has become Cambridge’s unofficial claim to fame on the small screen.

With it wrapping up its final season, a hole will be left in the city as far as filming.

“I’m not concerned about that at all,” Goodram said, noting location managers move between productions and treating them well is the key to getting chosen as a location.

“Something will definitely come in and take ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ place when it wraps up filming.”

One production the city could rely on year in and year out since its first season was ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’