Tony Danza, Blake Lively Star In Projects Now Filming In NJ

NEW JERSEY — New Jersey is the backdrop for a number of movie and television projects filming right now, or scheduled to start rolling later this spring or in the summer.

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni will star in a movie adaptation of “It Ends With Us,” a 2016 novel by Colleen Hoover. Baldoni (who played Rafael in “Jane the Virgin”) is also the director and executive producer, per Variety.

Lively, known for roles in “Gossip Girl” and “The Age of Adeline,” is also listed as an executive producer. “It Ends With Us” is a contemporary romance novel, billed as an “unforgettable tale of love that comes at the ultimate price.” The cast and crew were spotted in Hudson County last week.

Tony Danza will star in the indie comedy “Re-Election,” also filming in Hudson County. This movie has director Adam Saunders set to play Danza’s son, who is the main character of the movie.

Saunders’ character Jimmy “decides to re-enroll in high school and run for class president again” after dwelling on his loss for 25 years. Jimmy moves away from Danza’s character, the “co-dependent dad Stan who has been his employer his entire life” according to a brief from production company Footprint Features.

The New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission keeps a list of currently-filming projects in the Garden State. Here are the listed productions, and any names linked to them at this time:

“Re-Election”

• Production company: Footprint Features
• Names on production: Adam Saunders, Tony Danza, Bex Taylor-Klaus.
• Location: Jersey City
• Filming schedule: Early summer

“It Ends with Us”

• Production company: It Ends With Us Movie LLC
• Names on production: Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni
• Location: Hudson Co.
• Filming schedule: May-June

“Eric”

• Production company: Eric Productions, Inc.
• Names linked with production: Abi Morgan (director)
• Location: Newark, Jersey City
• Filming schedule: May

“Gladiator”

• Production company: 20th Century Fox TV
• Names linked with production: Unknown
• Location: North Jersey
• Filming schedule: April-September

“Thriller”

• Production company: 20th Television
• Names linked with production: Ryan Murphy (writer/producer)
• Location: Jersey City/Maplewood
• Filming schedule: May-October

“Winston”

• Production company: Paramount Pictures Corp.
• Names linked with production: Billy Crystal
• Location: Moonachie
• Filming schedule: May-August

“Wildvale”

• Production company: Apple Studios LLC
• Names linked with production: Unknown
• Location: Hunterdon County
• Filming schedule: May-June

Seeing movie stars in neighborhoods around New Jersey has been a growing phenomenon, as more and more films and TV shows choose the Garden State for their productions.

The sequel to Joaquin Phoenix's "Joker" movie, also starring Lady Gaga, had scenes that were almost certainly filmed in Belleville earlier this year.

Related article: New 'Joker' Movie Filming In Belleville? Here's What We Know

And, as Patch reported in March, a spinoff of “The Walking Dead” filmed in New Jersey, as did the film adaption of “Mean Girls: The Musical.” A production called “Cold Harbor” has also been filming in Holmdel, per the NJ Motion Picture and Television Commission.

Related article: Filming In NJ: 'The Walking Dead,' 'Mean Girls,' + More In Spring 2023

Gov. Phil Murphy has said he wants to dramatically increase filmmaking in the state, and New Jersey offers movie studios one of the most generous tax incentives to film studios out of any state in America.