'Secret Window' official site launched at Sony Pictures
25 January 2004

Sony Pictures has launched the official Secret Window site, where you can watch the trailer and read more about the production. Don't read the 'Production Notes' if you don't like to know the plot before seeing the movie! Secret Window opens in the U.S on 12 March '04 and in the UK on 16 April '04.

'Secret Window' script review (plot spoilers)
posted by Reemi 13 October 2003

Reemi found a critical review of the Secret Window script at FilmJerk. Warning: this script review obviously contains plot spoilers. Don't read if you don't want to know the plot!

Secret Window update (includes a plot spoiler)
reported by Emma 5 October 2003

The Gazette (Montreal, Quebec)
October 5, 2003

Baie d'Urfe blown, Secret Window heads inside to escape upcoming frost

Secret Window, the Johnny Depp movie in which he plays a writer stalked by a psychopath played by John Turturro, has been shooting exteriors all over Montreal this summer. The house where Depp's character lives was a Baie d'Urfe home that was blown up in one scene. The exteriors were shot in North Hatley and Brome Lake was chosen for a sinister lake scene.

With two weeks left to shoot and the cold descending, production sources say the remaining scenes will be safely shot inside Mel's Cite du Cinema studios.

'Secret Window' - the original short story (plot spoilers)
posted by DeepinDepp 23 September 2003

DeepinDepp found Stephen King's complete short story, Secret Window, Secret Garden, at puggy.symonds.net. Warning: Don't read if you don't want to know the plot!

Depp gels with fans in North Hatley
reported by Emma 22 September 2003

JENNIFER YOUNG & ROSS MURRAY
Stanstead Journal - posted 09.18.03

NORTH HATLEY | The key to celebrity-spotting is patience.

Around twenty patient people were pleased as punch Monday evening in North Hatley as actor Johnny Depp walked into a crowd of onlookers to sign autograph.

Depp had just finished shooting a scene in the new "sheriff's office", built specifically for The Secret Window, being shot earlier this week in North Hatley.

"It was so neat" said a tickled Cindy Smith. She had come for her daughter's benefit but felt giddy as a teenager after seeing Depp. "I wasn't even going to stay but once I saw him I couldn't help it. I"ve never seen someone so calm and relaxed." Depp posed with Smith's daughter Emily, whom he told had a pretty name.

A lot of people were impressed by Depp's mellowness. Some said he was even calmer than the film crew. "The security and crew seem to walk around sometimes like they are the stars and then you talk to him and he's so down to earth," said Ardella Buckle who has been on set since the get-go chaperoning her 12-year-old son, Dylan Chute, one of about sixty extras in the film.

Once the film hits the big screen, Chute will be recognizable by his red cap in the scene in front of Lebaron's store. He says that the movie life gets tiring. "It's pretty fun and exciting but sometimes it's really long because you have to wait around and you have to keep redoing it and it gets tiring," said Chute. "I still would like to be a movie star someday even though it's a lot of work."

Shooting began Monday in Dreamland Park, with traffic starting and stopping, extras walking back and forth over and over for a scene that lasted all of thirty seconds.

Spectators were kept at bay by security guards and crew members. Many sported zoom-lens cameras and binoculars to get a glimpse of the star. "Isn't he 'someone'?", one person was overheard saying, pointing to an unknown person on the set.

Besides Depp, the film stars Timothy Hutton, John Turtorro, and Ving Rhames, none of whom were seen in the area. Grand Slam Productions' location manager Kim Depietro could not confirm who was shooting in North Hatley.

There was not the crush of fans in North Hatley that greeted Angelina Jolie when she shot scenes for an upcoming film in Stanstead this past summer. Depietro suggested that may have something to do with the stars themselves. "Sometimes it's easier to deal with the giddy little girls than it is with the grown men who want to see Angelina Jolie," she joked.

Though extra Dylan Chute did not meet Depp, older brother CJ did. As a matter of fact, they spoke for almost half an hour. As Depp finished a scene he came out and sat on a bench where CJ simply walked up and said "Hey."

"We talked for a long time about music," said CJ, a member of the band Student Crossing. "He told me that he used to be in a band and music is what got him started in show biz. He told me that he likes the job but that keeping a wife or girlfriend is sometimes the hardest thing with all the travelling and work."

Depp reluctantly agreed to sign one fan's leg and pieces of clothing, but did it with a smile.

North Hatley veternarian Heather Ross saw a compassionate side of Depp after her daughter found out that she wouldn't be needed as an extra after all. Instead of Depp's assistant bringing her an autographed photo, he brought Depp himself to meet the mother and daughter in the gazebo. They chatted while he signed an autograph.

After word of Monday night's star appearance, Tuesday night brought more spectators. Unfortunately, fans left somewhat disappointed after waiting all day as Depp was driven through the crowd and didn't stop. Most walked away saying that they would be back tomorrow. Wednesday's schedule involved filming on the bridge as well as in front of the old CIBC, now The United States Post Office.

Buildings have been transformed throughout the village to replicate an upstate New York town called Tashmore Lake. Even store signs have been changed. Jay's Restaurant, for instance, became Joe's Restaurant.

"This way I don't get into trouble," laughed owner Jay Laprise. "You have a problem? Go see Joe."

Johnny Depp Comes to North Hatley
reported by DeepinDepp (translation by their lurker friend) 17 September 2003

Johnny Depp and other stars from Hollywood will be in North Hatley in the middle of September for the shooting of the film 'Secret Window'.

Technical equipment for this American production of $40 million landed in the town on September 2 to prepare for the shooting on the 15, 16, and September 17. A total of 150 people will stay in the town between the 2 and September 19.

The center of the town will completely be transformed in two studios. The first shooting necessitates the temporary construction of a police station between Hotel Massawippi and the Coffeeshop Massawippi. The second targeted place will be erected facing the grocery store Lebaron - this will provoke occasional closings of the Principal street. A detour route will be available between the filmed sequences. The general director of the municipality, Carlo Cazzaro, assured there would be no problem with traffic since shooting will be done during the week.

Besides Depp, 'Secret Window' also stars John Turtorro, Maria Bello, Timothy Hutton and Charles S. Dutton. Production has been in Montréal since mid-July. Last week, Johnny Depp and company left for two days to the open-air base at Bromont-sur-le-lac.

Depp played major roles in Chocolate and the Pirate of the Caribbean. One notably noticed Turtorro in Collateral Damage.

'Secret Window' is written and directed by David Koepp, who also had other hits with Spiderman and The Strong Room. It is an adaptation of the short novel of Stephen King, entitled 'Secret Window, Secret Garden'. Columbia Picture foresees the release of the film for the summer of 2004.

Depp plays the role of a writer that is going through a difficult divorce. He is also being pestered by a once-withdrawn psychopath in
his chalet, who is accusing him of plagerism.

The region is slowly becoming used to the presence of Hollywood big stars. Nicole Kidman and Anthony Hopkins were guests at the Manoir Hovey of North Hatley. Angelina Jolie and Ethan Hawke recently shot scenes of the film Taking Lives in Stanstead, Austin, District of Potton, Ogden and Coaticook. Denys Arcand and his group of the Barbaric Invasions also filmed several scenes in a chalet of Austin.

'Secret Window' filming in North Hatley
reported by Veronica 15 September 2003

La Tribune article by Claude Plante with photo by Olivier Bouffard

L'acteur américain Johnny Depp se trouve à à North Haley pour trois jours.
Tournage du film Secret Windows
North Hatley accueille Johnny Depp

L'acteur américain Johnny Depp a tourné ses premières séquences du film Secret Windows à North Hatley, en Estrie, lundi matin.Le tournage, sous haute surveillance, de ce film basé sur un récit de l'auteur à succès Stephen King devrait durer trois jours.

Rappelons que le petit village de North Hatley revêt un nouveau décor pour l'occasion. Son centre-ville a été remodelé pour accueillir l'équipe de tournage du film américain.

La petite ruelle Mill, entre la librairie L'Agora et l'Accommodation Massawippi, accueille un nouveau bâtiment temporaire. Les tournages doivent se concentrer à ce bâtiment, au parc Dream Land et à l'épicerie Le Baron, au coeur du village.

Le noeud de l'histoire de Secret Window tourne autour d'un écrivain habitant une maison au bord d'un lac qui fait la connaissance d'un personnage étrange qui l'accuse d'avoir plagié un de ses textes.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Rough translation: The American actor Johnny Depp shot his first sequences of the film 'Secret Window' in North Hatley, in Estrie, on Monday morning. Filming under high security of this film, based on a story by the successful author Stephen King, should last three days. Let us recall that the small village of North Hatley got a new decoration for the occasion. Its downtown area was reorganized to accomodate the team of American filmmakers. The small Mill Lane, between the bookshop, the Agora and Massawippi Accommodation, accomodates a new temporary building. Filming concentrates on this building, the park Dream Land and the Baron grocer, in the heart of the village. The hub of the plot of Secret Window revolves around a writer living in a house at the edge of a lake who becomes acquainted with a strange character who shows him to have plagiarized one of his texts.

'Secret Window' - North Hatley location pics
photographed by Maryline 14 September 2003

Maryline visited North Hatley on 14 September, and took photos around the town showing how it had been transformed for the filming, including setting up New York City phoneboxes and mailboxes.

'Secret Window' in North Hatley
reported by Emma 9 September 2003

Translation from the article at Radio-Canada which also has a couple of location pics of the sets under construction: photo 1, photo 2.

These days the village of North Hatley resembles a construction site. About ten carpenters run about to set up a sheriff’s office on the main road. Little by Little North Hatley evokes a small America town of New York State. It’s that filming of the film Secret Window, starring Johnny Depp approaches. Several scenes only will be filmed in North Hatley mid-September.

For the needs of the film, an imposing façade is under construction, very close to the Pilsen Pub. The population and the tradesmen seem used to it, even if the access to certain businesses is disrupted. Hollywood productions are not accustomed to haggling over the means: each shopkeeper affected will receive 100 $ per day.

North Hatley will resume its tranquillity from October 1st. Scenery and signs added for the film will be taken away. Filming of Secret Window will be nothing more than a memory that one will be able to see in some months on the screens.

'Secret Window' filming in Bromont, Quebec
reported by Emma, sparrowench, Reemi, DeepinDepp and evelyne 30 August-1st September 2003

The Cyberpresse.ca website article of 28 August 2003 has a photo of the trailers at the latest filming location in Bromont sur le Lac.

Other news snippets are roughly translated here:

The film crew were in the village of 'Bromont sur le Lac' last Monday to Wednesday (25-27 August '03). None of the actors were seen. The film's publicist would only confirm that Johnny filmed several scenes there, that they had finished at this location and, no she didn't know where Johnny was staying. There was speculation.whether the production would return a later date to film more scenes.. The publicist says 'No' but villagers say 'Maybe', as bookings have been made by the production company until the end of September.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Bromont looked like the making of Hollywood at the beginning of the week when it received a true collection of international high-speed motorboats, joined together for the making of the film Secret Window, which is inspired by famed author Stephen King. Among the stars, nothing less than celebrity actor, Johnny Depp. The area has been engulfed in mystery since the first shooting at mid-July in Montreal. The making of this $40 million American production always takes place on locations closed to the media and the public. It was however possible to learn of Bromont, the team itself active at the base of Bromont sur le Lac.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Shooting begins today in Bromont, Quebec on the Johnny Depp-led adaptation of a Stephen King novella. "A little shack on the edge of a small lake" is described as one set according to 'Andre', who confirmed with a production assistant that the film has rented out the entire park around the lake for filming.

'Secret Window' filming at Lake Sacacomie
reported by Emma 30 July 2003

Radio-Canada website article of 29 July 2003

Secret Window is filming at Lake Sacacomie for the next three weeks

Le tournage de scènes du film «Secret Window» se poursuit jusqu'à la mi-août à l'hôtel Saccacomie à Saint-Alexis-des-Monts. C'est la première fois que cette municipalité accueille une équipe de cinéma américain. L'acteur Johnny Depp fait notamment partie de la distribution.

Le plus grand secret entoure cette production cinématographique, et l'accès à l'hôtel Saccacomie est interdit au public. Les autorités municipales croient que ce tournage générera des retombées économiques de plusieurs milliers de dollars pour Saint-Alexis.

Rough translation provided by Emma:
The shooting of scenes of the film “Secret Window” continues until mid-August at the Hotel Sacacomie in Saint-Alexis-des-Monts. It is the first time that this town welcomes an American film crew. The actor Johnny Depp is in the cast. The greatest secrecy surrounds this film production, and the access to the Sacacomie hotel is forbidden to the public. The town authorities believe that this shoot will generate economic repercussions of several thousand dollars for Saint-Alexis.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Here's a map to show where Saint-Alexis-des-Monts is situated in relation to Montreal, plus a photo of the beautiful lodge hotel.And if you've got Adobe Reader installed on your pc, you can read more about the hotel and surrounding area in this PDF file.

First news from Canada -- filming of SWSG snow scenes
reported by Emma 25 July '03

Le Reflet website article of 19 July 2003

A rough translation of this French article is below, provided by Emma. It describes night-filming of snow scenes on 15-16 July '03 in the area of Sainte-Catherine, Quebec, Canada for Johnny's latest film 'Secret Window, Secret Garden'. Four small black and white photos of the set (1, 2, 3, and 4 ) accompanied the article, but no photos of Johnny.

=========

Johnny Depp caught in an artificial snowstorm in Sainte-Catherine
Francis Higgins
19 July 2003 Sainte-Catherine

Sainte-Catherine rediscovered a little of its winter colours shooting a snowstorm for a film starring Johnny Depp.

During the nights of Wednesday and Thursday, Grand Slam Productions shot winter sequences at the Frandy motel, on route 132. For the occasion, the establishment was covered with artificial snow and was renamed 'Irv's Lakesider motel'.

The American actor Johnny Depp was on the spot for interior and external scenes of the full-length film Secret Window.

The star of Donnie Brasco, Ed Wood, Don Juan deMarco and Edward Scissorhands worked all night long. After sunset, Wednesday evening, the crew shot scenes in a car and at the motel reception.

A small crowd had gathered together around the well-guarded set. However, fences and trucks harmed the visibility. The storm remained light. Large electric fans pushed a little artificial snow in front of the cameras. White fabrics and crushed ice had been laid on the ground.

From a Stephen King short story
In this work, M Depp plays the role of Mort Rainey, an author depressed by his recent divorce and accused by a psychopath to have plagiarized a novel. He will try to prove that his book was published first. However, the evidence of his innocence will disappear little by little -- just like the people who can corroborate his statements.

This story is based on the short story ‘Secret Window, Secret Garden’ from American writer Stephen King, taken from his collection 'Two Past Midnight'. The film is written and directed by David Koepp. The latter scripted Spiderman, Mission Impossible, The Panic Room and Jurassic Park.

Mr. Depp was the only actor present in Sainte-Catherine. The other known actors from the film are John Turturro (Quiz Show), Maria Bello (Coyote Ugly) and Timothy Hutton (The General’s Daughter).

With this film, he returns to the kind of eerie thriller that he knows well from The Ninth Gate, The Astronaut’s Wife and From Hell.

The biggest shoot at the Frandy
In 37 years of existence, the motel Frandy has welcomed several small movie productions. However, none was as imposing as this one.

One month ago, all the rooms were reserved from 15th to 18 July. In addition to the snow covering the ground, the motel sign was replaced, the doors repainted, the reception room redecorated etc.

The owner Georgette Ferland-Girard was a little discouraged by of all these transformations. Besides, she did not know if the deal would be profitable, even though the producers had assured her that everything would be returned to normal. She preferred to wait for the end of work to tell how much money this shoot will bring her.

Ms Ferland-Girard appreciates that this film will not give her great visibility, since the name of the business was changed. Besides, she added, she did not need any advertising. In spite of everything, she understood that her motel constitutes a good place to film. "Where are they [the producers] going to find a more beautiful place than here?" she asked. "We are located in a beautiful place and we have beautiful large grounds."

She adds that stars hardly ever impress her. Besides, she does not know Johnny Depp.

The producers offered the motel’s neighbours a night in a hotel during filming. They also covered their swimming pools so that the artificial snow didn’t fill them. Several of these neighbours preferred to stay at home in spite of the hubbub. "I have lived here 30 years and nothing has ever happened. I will not go away now!", one of them uttered.