BY MAIRE O’NEILL
maire@losalamosreporter.com
Plans to film a scene of the new SpongeBob SquarePants movie, Saving Bikini Bottom, Aug. 24 in downtown Los Alamos. were canceled over the weekend, according to Los Alamos County Film Liaison Kelly Stewart.
Stewart had send an email Aug. 5 primarily to businesses and representatives located directly adjacent to the filming locations, which were listed as the Starbucks parking lot at 20th and Central Avenue, Central Avenue between 20th and 15th, the corner of Central Avenue and the Motor Vehicle Division office and the alley leading east towards Mari-Mac Village.
An email from Don Gray, the location manager for the movie noted that the film industry is a fickle monster sometimes.
“Unfortunately we received word that rewrites of the script are coming and the Los Alamos shoot has been cut.,” he said. “I want to say thank you to everyone in the community with whom we have engaged. Truly Los Alamos is one of the more welcoming communities I have worked with in my 20 years in the film industry in New Mexico. I will definitely keep that in mind for future projects to come.”
Gray gave a special shout out to Stewart.
“She is a wonderful resource for filmmakers looking at Los Alamos and really went above and beyond in helping us along the way,” he said.