Right before spring break, Westfield got some exciting news — a brand-new Netflix movie was going to be filmed right here in town! From April 9th to April 20th, film crews and trucks were spotted all around Westfield, including on East Dudley Avenue and at Wilson Elementary School.
The movie being filmed is The Whisper Man, based on the New York Times best-selling novel by Alex North. The story takes place in a small town and follows Tom Kennedy, a widowed father whose 8-year-old son, Jim, is abducted. As Tom searches for his son, he uncovers a chilling link to a past case involving a mysterious serial killer known as “The Whisper Man.”
The film is directed by New Zealand filmmaker James Ashcroft and stars the legendary Robert De Niro, known for classics like Goodfellas (1990), The Godfather Part II (1974), and Taxi Driver (1976). Other famous stars include Michelle Monaghan (The White Lotus, Gone Baby Gone), Adam Scott (Severance, Step Brothers), and Michael Keaton (Batman, Beetlejuice).
But that’s not all! On May 13th, Netflix held a special ceremony in Oceanport, NJ, celebrating the start of construction on a massive East Coast production studio at the old Fort Monmouth military base. The $900 million project will cover 292 acres and is expected to be completed in 2028.
With this new studio in development, New Jersey is on track to become a major hub for movie-making. That means it’s very possible that more films could be shot in Westfield in the future. So keep your eyes open — Hollywood might be coming back to town soon!