Lights, camera ... Lancaster back in the spotlight

LANCASTER - Hollywood has found the area. Numerous movies and TV shows have been filmed in the region. Mark Wahlberg, Will Ferrell and Mel Gibson were some of the starts who filed a scene from "Daddy's Home 2" at the Old Timer, in Clinton. "Slender Man" and "Castle Rock," filmed in Lancaster.

Now, a Netflix series is filming around Lancaster's Town Green, even constructing a gazebo that could become a permanent feature around town. While the "unnamed Chris Keyser project" has no official title, the Hollywood Reporter published a story that Netflix is producing a Lord of the Flies-like drama series from Keyser and Marc Webb that will star Kathryn Newton.

The untitled 10-episode project reportedly revolves around young adults fighting for survival. Teens are forced to take matters into their own hands when they return to their town from a trip cut short to find that everyone is missing and there's no way out of the town. Teens will party, panic, grieve, fight and ultimately be forced to decide how to deal with the unthinkable.

One local woman with an acting portfolio has landed a role on the show.

While Jodi Lynn Sylvester, of Lancaster, cannot report much, saying everyone involved has been "sworn to secrecy," she said she is "thrilled to be working on a TV project in my hometown. I never thought that my hometown and my acting career would cross paths."

Sylvester has been performing in Broadway musicals in regional theaters, national tours and in New York City. While living in the Big Apple, she  acted in numerous independent feature films and television series, such as "Sex in the City."

She has also had a chance to perform at the Hanover Theatre, in Worcester.

"This past January, I started with representation by a casting agent in Boston," Sylvester said. "I booked this Netflix series through that agent."

This is not the first offer she has had since moving back to Lancaster.

"I have been given many opportunities to appear in films and other television series, but did not accept due to my very busy teaching schedule," she said. "However, I couldn't turn this Netflix project down. I had to jump on it."

Sylvester said she and the other cast members are anxious to be able to talk about the show once it is announced officially. She said it should be airing in the fall of 2019.

The company producing the series, Ungrown Productions LLC, negotiated filming in and around the Town Green, including in Town Hall, with Town Administrator Orlando Pacheco.

"I think things have gone well so far," Pacheco said last week. "We have received $17,000 in site location payments and reimbursed for all staff time. We have received a lot of positive feedback about the gazebo (built for shooting on the Town Green), but we also did receive some complaints about the lack of parking or the needs to occasionally close the road. Unfortunately, these are part of the filming process and we do make every effort to minimize the interference."

Selectmen were scheduled to talk about the gazebo at their Sept. 17 meeting.