“If I ever go looking for my heart’s desire again, I won’t look any further than my own back yard!” Dorothy, The Wizard of Oz Screenplay; Noel Langley—Novelist, Playwright, Screenwriter, and Director.
HOLLYWOOD came to Rhode Island this summer! Thrills took place–Right in our own back yard! A new movie entitled “Ghostwriter,” Directed by J.J. Abrams and starring Samuel L. Jackson, Jenna Ortega, and Glen Powell was partially filmed in Little Rhody this summer! Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee welcomed the news of the production. The Governor stated that he believes Rhode Island makes an “appealing setting for motion pictures,” describing how the state delivers history, scenic wonders, and supportive communities. “The production is a valuable opportunity to showcase RI, support our local economy and reinforce our growing role in the film industry,” said McKee. “We’re proud to welcome a Warner Brothers production that will showcase our state’s beauty,” continued McKee, “Big things are reel-ly happening here,” McKee quipped. Steven Feinberg, executive director of the Rhode Island Film & TV Office heralded Warner Brothers Studios for creating its newest production in RI.
J.J. Abrams is an American filmmaker, composer, producer, and director. He is highly regarded in the film genres of action, drama, and science fiction for his works. Abrams wrote and produced such films as “Armageddon-1998,” “Cloverfield-2008,” “Star Trek-2009,” and the Star Wars sequels; “The Force Awakens-2015,” and “The Rise of Skywalker-2019.” Abrams’s movies have grossed over 4 billion dollars worldwide. He has also created a multitude of TV Series; such as; “Felicity-1998-2002,” “LOST-2004-2010,” “Fringe-2008-2013,” as well as directed the movie “Mission: Impossible III-2006.” He has won 2 Emmy Awards for Outstanding Director for a Drama Series, and Outstanding Drama Series. Additionally, he also directed, co-produced, and co-wrote “The Force Awakens,” which was the 7th episode of the Star Wars Skywalker Saga and the 1st film of the sequel trilogy. Abrams returned to Star Wars by executive producing “The Last Jedi-2017,” and directing, co-producing and co-writing “The Rise of Skywalker-2019.” He founded the production company called “Bad Robot,” with Bryan Burke in 2001, in association with Paramount Pictures and Warner Brothers Pictures. Bad Robot produced the sensational TV series “Alias,” and Abrams composed the opening theme music for both “Alias” and the SMASH-HIT series, “Lost.” These are a sampling of J.J. Abrams’s highlights!
Actor Glen Thomas Powell, JR. is an American actor who “has proved that he is more than his easy smile and classic good looks,” with roles in such hit movies as; “Top Gun: Maverick-2022,” where he was cast in the role of “Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin,”- the antagonist in the Top Gun movie; “Anyone But You-2023,” and “Twisters-2024.” Glen Powell traces his interest in film to the age of 5, when he went to the cinema with his father to see Steven Spielberg’s “Jurassic Park,” in 1993. He watched the movie repeatedly and began making his own science fiction films with a home-video camera and utilizing his friends as his cast! “Top Gun: Maverick,” became the biggest box office hit of the year, grossing some $1.5 billion worldwide. Glen Powell assumed the leading man role of “Ben,” opposite Sydney Sweeney’s “Bea,” in the rom-com movie “Anyone But You,” based on William Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing,” and that film grossed more than $200 million dollars, the highest gross for an “R-Rated” comedy in nearly a decade! Powell then starred in 2024’s “Twisters,” an action-adventure movie, and a stand-alone sequel to 1996’s “Twister.” Powell played a charismatic tornado chaser, and former rodeo cowboy, named “Tyler Owens,” AKA the “Tornado Wrangler.” “Twisters” became a summer Blockbuster film, earning more than $300 million dollars globally and becoming one of the year’s top grossing films of 2024. Glen Powell filmed “Ghostwriter,” in the Summer of 2025, here in RI!
“Ghostwriter,” which is the current production’s working title, is said to be a story about a writer who discovers that the imaginary world about which he writes, actually exists. It is described as “a futuristic action movie.” “Ghostwriter” had previously filmed in England and Scotland, prior to shooting in Rhode Island. Pictured below are scenes from the movie being filmed in the UK.
The following RI locations were used for filming the upcoming movie, “Ghostwriter:”
- –Johnson & Wales University and Providence Performing Arts Center, in downtown Providence
- –Angell Street and Thomas Street, on College Hill, in Providence
- –The Providence Waterfront near the fox Point Hurricane Barrier
- –The East Bay Bike Path in East Providence
- –OLNYVILLE, NEW YORK SYSTEM wiener restaurant, on Plainfield Street, Olneyville, Providence
- –Nick-A-Nees Bar in downtown, Providence
- –The gate of the Aldrich Mansion in Warwick
- –The Time Capsule comic bookstore in Cranston
- –Rockstar Piercing on Wickenden Street, Providence; which was redecorated as a cell-phone store
- –The Point Street Bridge, Gano Street, Hope Street, Eddy Street- Providence
“The bulk of the movie was filmed in the United Kingdom this spring and summer,” but the end-of-summer filming in RI “was intended to ground the movie as taking place in the Ocean State,” states y!entertainment, www.yahoo.com “For the grand finale in the Providence-area of filming ‘Ghostwriter,’ the acclaimed director J.J. Abrams took over The Point Street Bridge. The main focus of the effort was filming scenes with actor Glen Powell that take place on the span,” y!entertainment continues. Abrams may have also turned his cameras toward Providence, to film establishing shots that set the movie in the Ocean State capital. “News of what was going on was met with amazement that a top-of-the-A-list director with an all-star cast would film in Rhode Island! EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT IT!” The anticipated summer Blockbuster film is expected to be in theatres next year!
The movie production rented out the famed RI Landmark Olneyville NY System restaurant in Providence on Thursday night, August 21st, 2025. The iconic restaurant was closed to the public for the 24-hour movie rental. The film crew arrived at 7 AM to begin prepping the restaurant “for its time in the limelight!” Filming began at approximately 8 PM that evening, and the restaurant was asked to be ready to make some food during the filming hours. Greg Stevens, former owner of Olneyville NY System, and now a consultant to new owners, Heritage Restaurant Group, said that the film crew would shoot 2 scenes at the restaurant; one inside and one outside. Movie Star Glen Powell had been spotted at multiple locations throughout filming; sometimes he is dressed normally, sometimes his face and shirt are made to look bloodied, frequently he is riding a bicycle. Stevens, as the eatery consultant, said that he was first approached by location scouts in January, and then met with J.J. Abrams and location manager Alex Berard in February. Stevens added that he thinks that shooting at Olneyville’s NY System will be a win in the long run, for more than just the restaurant, “I think having the film production here will help expose all of the different parts of Providence and RI to filmmakers,” www.yahoo.com y!entertainment and www.projo.com report.
Now, on to the www.ribbqnews.com BBQ Connection to the “Ghostwriter” film! When asked by experts WHERE the cast and crew of the film had dined, while in Providence, RI; it has been reported that the cast and crew visited “THERE, THERE,”AKA, T.T. WEST END, located at: 471 West Fountain Street in Providence. www.eater.com posted, “Providence, RI is one of the oldest cities in the U.S., with plenty of well-established eateries to its name. But diners also embrace upstarts, making the tiny coastal town a dynamic combination of old and new. Among an exciting crop of fresh flavors, you’ll find the juicy burger of ‘There, There,’ one of Eater’s Best New Restaurants of 2023. A great new restaurant can be a fun experience. A BEST new restaurant announces itself as part of the national dining conversation. Each restaurant on this list does more than offer an exceptional meal. It also reflects something larger about the way we eat. It might set one trend in motion or subvert another. It might bring attention to a previously unheralded cuisine or neighborhood, or revisit familiar genres in unexpected ways. But most of all, each is an original.” Eater continues, “One of the country’s top culinary schools, Johnson & Wales, supplies talented up-and-comers, while longtime hospitality leaders promote new generations of businesses.” In January, Eater’s Guide of “Where to Eat 2025,” featured just 18 cities across the world—and Providence was one of them! www.rimonthly.com writes, “Sometimes a good meal just does the trick to make you feel better. That’s why Chef Brandon Teachout named his West End Restaurant, ‘There,There.’ ‘People can come in and have a meal that we put a lot of love and care into,’ Teachout says.” “It’s that little hug and a tap on the back, like ‘You’re here now.’ We don’t know what’s going on out there (in the world) but when you’re here, we’re going to make sure we do everything we can to make it good for you.” “There, There,” is dishing out STACKED SMASHBURGERS, fried chicken sandwiches, sausages and house-made hot dogs, along with vegetarian fare and seasonal specialties.
RI Monthly continues, “’There, There’ is redefining business by offering a simple menu of hefty sandwiches like:
- —The T.T. Bird; with buttermilk fried chicken, mayo, honeygold sauce, shredduce= shredded lettuce–sweet mustard, pickled red onion, cider vin, on a sesame bun
- —The Dream Burger; with two grass-fed smashed beef patties, USA cheese, patty sauce, onion jam, and shredduce, on a grilled sesame bun
- —The CNY- Central NY Salt Potatoes; Brine-cooked Yukon gold potatoes, with drizzled pepperoncini butter and dusted with green onions
- —Kale Roll; with cornmeal battered kale, tartar sauce, smoky pickle relish, green onion, and BBQ Rub on a griddled brioche bun
- —The Oklahoma Burger; with 2 grass-fed smashed beef patties, griddled onions, USA cheese, mayo, sweet mustard, and pickles on a sesame bun
- —The Filet O’ Chz; it is a fried cheese sandwich! Panko breaded queso de frier, mayo, seasonal condiment, shredduce, sesame bun
Lifestyle Blog www.pattyj.com declares that, “’There, There’ is cooking up some of the tastiest casual eats in RI!” Her husband had The Oklahoma Burger…and he is still raving about it, saying it is one of the Best Burgers he has ever eaten. Patty J tried The Kale Roll, which she described as “it was: A Flavor Party On A Roll!” www.onlyinyourstate.com exclaims, “Burger joints aren’t hard to find RI – or anywhere else in the U.S. for that matter. But there’s a difference between a run-of-the-mill burger and one that is so flavorful that is sends our tastebuds into a tailspin! If you’re a fan of burgers, you’ll quickly realize—with just one bite—that this tiny restaurant in Providence grills some of the best burgers and sandwiches around! When an unrelenting craving for a burger or a sandwich hits, there’s really only one place to go, and that’s ‘There, There’ in Providence.” “This tiny burger and sandwich shop has garnered some pretty impressive compliments from diners. The burgers have been called everything from ‘incredible,’ to ‘The Best Around!’ Both The Dream Burger and The Oklahoma Burger earn glowing marks!”
“There, There,” also serves delightfully creative Housemade Non-Alcoholic Beverages and Housemade Sodas; such as:
- –Coffee Milk; a thicc take on the RI favorite, shaken up with sweetened condensed milk, and Housemade coffee syrup
- –Lemon Fuzz; a super fresh sparkling lemonade refresher
So whether you are an A-List Director like J.J. Abrams, an Action and Adventure Actor like Glen Powell, a Hollywood Crew Member; Camera Operator, Lighting Technician, Grip, Wardrobe, Hair & Makeup Artist, Stuntman or Stuntwoman, Sound Engineer, Production Assistant, Photographer, Stand-In, Gaffer, Boom Operator, Editor, Set Decorator, Propmaker, Costume Designer, Script Supervisor, Location Manager, Special Effects Team, Transportation Department, or Best Boy… Providence, RI has THE BEST BURGERS READY FOR YOU! AND THAT’S A WRAP! www.theretherepvd.com
*NOTE: “There, There,” also has a location at:
40 Exchange Street, Providence, RI
In the @track15ri Food Hall
