Production will begin this weekend on a feature film offshoot of the “Left Behind” franchise, a series of best-selling fictional novels about the biblical apocalypse.
Filming for “Left Behind Kids” will begin in Effingham County on Saturday, according to the Savannah Film Office.
Beginning Tuesday in downtown Savannah, from 2-5 p.m., some lanes will be blocked off at Bryan Street and Drayton and again throughout the week.
“Left Behind” began as a series of books co-written by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins before becoming a full-blown franchise, spawning four movies, graphic novels and even a video game. Spinoff series “Left Behind: The Kids” consists of 40 short books aimed at the young adult market.
Plans to shoot on Broughton Street the week of Thanksgiving were scuttled after business owners expressed concerns about closing parts of the street on Black Friday and Saturday.
A meeting between business owners and the film producers held earlier this week generated alternatives to shooting on Broughton.
“We had a great meeting, the city was great and we just explained our position,” said Ruel Joyner, owner of 24e Design Co. “We proposed a few other alternate sites that did not have as much impact.”
Joyner said the business community is excited to see more film shoots but has to ensure their shops won’t be disproportionately impacted during their busiest time of year.
Filming is expected to last through Dec. 19.
