Fifty Shades of Grey stars Dakota Johnson & Jamie Dornan in a pivotal scene, filmed in Maple Tree Square
Today, Gastown will return to the big screen in Fifty Shades of Grey. Last year, film crew dropped by to shoot pinnacle scenes using neighbourhood scenery to depict Portland and Seattle.
The film is the first cinematic adaptation of the bestselling book, which centers on the provocative escapades between Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey, Ana’s billionaire “boyfriend”. In the latest trailer, there’s a brief glimpse of Christian saving Anastasia from a cyclist crash, which was shot outside Peckinpah in Maple Tree Square, steps away from the Gassy Jack statue.
A large group of onlookers crowded around the corner of Powell and Columbia Streets when actors Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan were filming a dramatic scene where Christian leads Anastasia from her apartment to the sidewalk with a special surprise. Rumour has it, the crew were worried that impromptu rain would ‘dampen’ the outdoor scene, but luckily the weather happened to cooperate during the day of the shoot.
Gastown’s heritage buildings are one of the most sought-after backdrops to create Hollywood magic. So, on your next coffee break, take a moment to walk around the neighbourhood – you might catch a behind-the-scenes look at a Blockbuster hit in the making. To read more on Gastown’s cinematic moments, check out our previous blog post here.