Disney + is set to descend on Shelburne this spring as they begin production on their new series “Washington Black”.
The series is based on Esi Edugyan’s novel that tells the story of Washington Black, an 11-year old slave who escapes from a sugar plantation in Barbados.
The series is set to feature Sterling K. Brown as the escaped slave’s mentor. Brown is best known for his role as Randall Pearson in NBC’s “This Is Us”.
The Town of Shelburne let residents know about the film crew, which will be arriving in March and filming in various locations around the community until May. In a letter, the town explained that around 150 cast and crew will be coming to town and they are now looking to secure accommodations for them.
Shelburne Mayor Harold Locke says residents are already getting excited, “We haven’t had a major production in around 15 years, so people are excited for something new to come to town, and of course, many are excited about the economic boom it will bring.”
In the letter sent out to residents, it indicated that the production company and the town would like to see as many of the cast and crew housed locally as possible, in order to ensure the production benefits the community of Shelburne as much as possible.
Locke says although the reaction he’s heard has been mostly positive, a few residents have raised concerns about a film production coming to town during a pandemic.
“I tell them that just like the many other productions that have taken place safely over the pandemic, this one will also be required to follow all the same health protocols,” Locke said.
