NANTICOKE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A bit of the spotlight is making its way to a city in Luzerne County. The bright lights are shining in Nanticoke as a horror flick is being filmed.
When a baseball player returns to his hometown of Nanticoke, he quickly realizes it’s not how he remembers it.
Nanticoke the movie might be filmed in the city you know, but it takes a spooky twist that will make you watch with one eye shut.
“Within that, we incorporated the aspect of having zombies and vampires in it to make it one of the best horror movies of 2023,” said Nanticoke Producer Michael B. Judkins.
The horror flick has been in development since 2013, shooting finally began in April, and is now taking over the streets of Nanticoke.
“It’s one of those things where you know you sit there and you dream about how this is gonna go and you run every scenario in your head. You look around at the amazing talent and the people here and you go, ‘man. This is it. This is gonna work,” said Nanticoke Director Rick Berry.
One of the actors is a northeastern Pennsylvania native and says he is grateful to be part of a production like this.
“I’m so happy to be a part of this, especially being from the area to see something like this be brought together. It’s such a wonderful thing, the whole town’s been very supportive,” Nanticoke Actor Austin Monahan said.
And the community has been doing all it can to let the supernatural into the city.
“As a producer, it’s heartfelt to see that. Especially with the production of any size that you wanna see the community get together,” said Judkins.
The mayor of Nanticoke and the city’s first responders have not only supported the movie, but are actually starring in it.
“It certainly brings a little bit of notoriety here to our town and we need anything we could get. They certainly have people come here for whatever it’s worth and we’re certainly happy to have everybody here,” said Nanticoke City Police Department Chief Michael Roke.
“It’s a great opportunity for the city of Nanticoke, also for some of the residents to be starring in it,” said Nanticoke City Police Department Sergeant Chad Southern
And for those looking for spoilers…
“The rest I’m gonna leave up to you to come see the movie,” Monahan said.
If you love zombies, vampires, and Nanticoke, this movie may be for you.
Production says they hope to have the movie done by the end of 2023 and at the latest, spring of 2024.
The filming and zombie apocalypse in Nanticoke is expected to last for about two more weeks.
