HAMILTON, Ohio -- Hollywood returns to Butler County on Thursday and Friday as production crews film scenes for a movie starring Robert Redford, Sissy Spacek, Danny Glover and Casey Affleck.
High Street from Second Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (U.S. 127) will be closed from 5 a.m. Thursday until 9 p.m. Friday. Additionally, the intersection of High Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard will be subject to brief, intermittent closures to prevent vehicles from appearing in the background of various scenes of the movie.
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"The Old Man and the Gun" focuses on Redford's character, an elderly bank robber living in a retirement community who wants to commit one more heist. According to Deadline, the film is based on a "true story that originated in a 2003 New Yorker magazine feature written by David Grann." The titular crook has broken out of prison numerous times, including an escape from San Quentin when he's 70.
Detour routes will be posted during the closure of High Street. Motorists traveling east or west on High Street are encouraged to use the posted detour route along Dayton Street or Maple Avenue. In addition to posted detour routes, the movie production will pay Hamilton police officers to be stationed at various high-traffic intersections along High Street, Dayton Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to assist in directing traffic. The High Street Bridge over the Great Miami River will remain open during filming.
In an effort to alleviate congestion along the detour routes, Hamilton will temporarily suspend construction along River Road and will work with CSX and Norfolk Southern to ensure all rail crossings are not closed due to construction.
The upcoming film will be the seventh movie filmed in Hamilton in the last three years.
“The city has been a tremendous, cooperative partner in accommodating our requests for this production,” said Patrick Newall, a producer for the film, in a Hamilton news release. “They have worked diligently to make us feel welcome in Hamilton. In turn, we plan to support the local businesses along High Street to help minimize the impact to their operations during the road closure.”
