Helensburgh residents living near the upcoming shoot of the Disney film Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes have agreed to rent out their parking spaces to help out the big production.
The film, being shot outside the glowworm tunnel on Vera Street and the short tunnel across the road on the way to the station, will be directed by Wes Ball and is a sequel to the 2017 movie War For The Planet of The Apes, which had a budget of an estimated US$150 million.
One local resident, who would like to stay anonymous, has agreed to rent out her driveway.
“I’d rather not say how much,” she said. “It’s not a huge amount but nice enough for the inconvenience of parking a block away for a couple of nights.
"I’m more than happy to help them out. We love movies and to be seeing our street and tunnel in a Hollywood movie is amazing. I’m excited to see if we can actually see what goes on next week. I’m off Monday so will definitely be having a sticky beak.”
She signed a non-disclosure agreement about the terms of the deal at the request of Disney Studios.
The production, near a traffic intersection to the Helensburgh train station, will mean changed traffic conditions and possible delays for commuters. There will be traffic controllers to manage the morning rush hour at the station.
A spokesperson for Transport NSW said: “Traffic control will be in place around Helensburgh train station to maintain traffic flow and minimise impacts from the nearby local road closures. Commuters are advised to allow extra time to access the commuter car park.”
Train timetables on the Illawarra line have not been altered to accommodate the production. Transport for NSW has not provided permits to film at the Helensburgh train station or the surrounding commuter carpark.
A council spokesperson said that responsibility for communicating about roads affected by filming lay with the production company.
A spokesperson for Disney declined to comment.
Another affected resident said she didn’t “care either way, as long as I can get my car out of my driveway and get to the station.” Her driveway is on Crown land, and no offer to rent the space had been made.
The filming of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will take place from 6am until 8pm on Monday, 17 October and Tuesday, 18 October.
It is understood a production “unit base” will also be established at Rex Jackson Oval.
According to the Planet Of The Apes fandom site, the story of Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes picks up many years after War For The Planet Of The Apes. Actor Owen Teague will play chimpanzee Cornelius, son of Caesar.
Director Wes Ball, known for the Maze Runner films, arrived in Australia early this month and said in a tweet on October 6, “I thought Sydney was supposed to be sunny (smiley emoji).”
At the moment, showers are predicted for Monday and Tuesday.
