Filming is set to begin May 18th and continue through June 20th, Feinberg said. He said the film will employ 150 to 200 crew members and include at least 150 extras, with Nickelodeon Studios and Paramount+ expected to launch at the end of this year.
“It highlights Rhode Island’s creative economy,” Feinberg said. “It’s great for our local crew and for our local talent. There will be eyeballs from all over waiting and watching Good Burger 2.”
The announcement came on the same day that Hollywood film and television writers went on strike, shutting down several productions and dealing a blow to an industry that has been shaken in recent years by the pandemic and sweeping technological shifts.
Feinberg, who has been a member of the Writers Guild of America since 1987, said he did not expect the strike to affect domestic production.
He said, “I was told the picket lines would be about studios and networks and not about productions, especially on-location productions.” “Union members tend not to cross picket lines, but I don’t think there will be picket lines around this production or most of the products on site.”
Productions may not turn North Providence into the next Hollywood, but Mayor Charles A. Lombardi said he’s glad the film crew is in town. “We’re excited about that,” he said. “It’s creating a very energetic buzz around town. I just hope they consider using some of our residents as plug-ins.”
Lombardi said he had not considered trying for a role in the film. “I enjoy what I do,” he said, laughing.
In addition to filming at the former Friendly’s, the production company plans to rent the city’s former police and fire station on Mineral Spring Avenue for at least two months, Lombardi said, though he wasn’t sure about the purpose. “We were very forgiving,” he said. “I hope they come back.”
Feinberg said the production will include locations in other parts of Rhode Island in addition to the North Providence location.
Last year, Rhode Islanders watched witches fly over Federal Hill as part of the filming of “Hocus Pocus 2,” and film crews captured the grandeur of a Newport mansion for the second season of HBO’s “The Gilded Age.”
The Bureau of Film and Television uses the motion picture production tax credits in an effort to bring film crews to Rhode Island. To qualify, a production must shoot at least 51 percent of a movie in Rhode Island or spend $10 million in a 12-month period and have that movie shot 100 percent in Rhode Island, Feinberg said. The motion picture tax credit represents 30 percent of state approved production costs incurred in Rhode Island.
Last year, the Rhode Island Bureau of Revenue Analysis released a report saying that the state’s tax credit program failed to break even, its goals are “vague,” and data reporting requirements “lead to inconsistent and unreliable data about the program’s performance.”
But Feinberg strongly disagreed, saying the report contained “miscalculations” and “oversights”. He said Industrial Economics, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company, released a report in March saying that every $1 in movie tax credits generated $5.44 in economic activity, and that the benefit extended to nearly every city and town in the state.
The original “Good Burger” tells the story of teenager Dexter Reed and his fellow cashier, Ed, as they try to save their restaurant after a new burger chain opens across the street. In the sequel, Dexter is lucky but Ed welcomes him back to Good Burger, which takes him back to his old job.
“While working with a new group of buffoonery employees, Dex devises a plan to get back on his feet but unfortunately puts Good Burger’s fate once again in jeopardy,” the film office explained. With a number of signature cameos expected, audiences will surely hear the iconic line of dialogue, “Welcome to Good Burger, the home of Good Burger—can I take your order?” “
Tuesday’s announcement included quotes from top state officials.
Governor Daniel J. Mackie: “It’s great to see a new Nickelodeon and Paramount + movie being made in Rhode Island — especially one that’s fun, family-oriented, and showcases our beautiful state.” “Every time production starts here, we see a positive impact on our domestic business. This is the kind of energy that keeps our economy moving forward.”
Speaker of the House K. Joseph Cicaracchi, a Warwick Democrat, welcomed Thompson, Mitchell, and the representatives to Rhode Island. “The beauty of Rhode Island’s cities and towns will support the characters along with the talented actors and actresses who will drive this special production. I eagerly await the positive recognition and tourism this production will bring to our state.”
State Senate President Dominic J. Mansions on the beach and peaceful forests. Warmly welcome “Good Burger 2 to Rhode Island and we very much expect to see our state grace the screen again.”
Anyone interested in participating in the film can submit an application through the Boston Casting website.
Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at edward.fitzpatrick@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @tweet.