Film Production Will Close Newark Streets This Weekend

NEWARK, NJ — A film production will close streets and impact traffic this weekend in Newark, officials say.

According to the Newark Department of Public Safety – which did not name the specific film or production company in an advisory – the following streets will be affected by “intermittent closings”:

• Friday, May 19 (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.) - Washington Street between Market and Branford Place (with traffic to Branford Place affected after 5 p.m.)
• Saturday, May 20 and Sunday, May 21 (noon to 11 p.m.) – Branford Place between Washington Street and Halsey Street

Newark public safety officials advised drivers to expect delays and plan alternate routes.

Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé thanked local residents and visitors for their patience and cooperation in advance of the street closures.

There has been a resurgence of interest from the entertainment industry in New Jersey’s largest city over the past few years. Read More: Film Renaissance In Newark Keeps Booming

Boosted by nearly $2 million in tax incentives from the state’s Film and Digital Media Tax Credit Program, Warner Brothers studios filmed several segments of the blockbuster comic book-inspired movie, “Joker,” in Newark in 2019.

• Read More: Tax Breaks Helped Bring 'Joker' Movie To Newark
• Read More: Newark Becomes Gotham City For 'Joker' Movie (VIDEOS)

Newark issued only 15 film permits in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, as opposed to 57 permits in 2019. But filming rebounded big-time in 2021, with several well-known shows and movies choosing the city as a location, including "The Equalizer," "Law & Order" and "Wu-Tang: An American Saga."

• See related article: Newark Film Permits: See What Shows Came To The City Last Year
• See related article: Halle Berry Debuts New Netflix Movie Partly Filmed In Newark
• See related article: A 'Big Deal' For Newark: New TV Show Will Film At Symphony Hall

Lately, the city has seen additional filming that includes “Isle of the Dead,” the upcoming spinoff of AMC’s mega-hit show, “The Walking Dead,” which captured footage near the NJ Transit subway at the corner of Broad Street and Raymond Boulevard.

The amount of filming taking place in Newark will only increase in late 2024, when a huge TV and movie studio is expected to be completed in the city. The new studio – done in partnership with Lionsgate – will create 600 jobs and produce more than $800 million of "annual economic impact," officials say.

• See related article: Huge Movie Studio Coming To Newark; 600 Jobs Expected, NJ Gov. Says
• See related article: Film Industry Is Rebounding In New Jersey, Including Newark

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