Hollywood Film Shoots in Anchorage, Stars Spotted Around Town

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A Hollywood film is in production in Anchorage, confirmed by a local producer who wished to remain anonymous. While details are scarce, sightings of stars Dakota Fanning and Jake Johnson have fueled excitement among residents.

Jim Young, the YMCA of Alaska Athletic Director, shared his experience meeting Fanning. “She was super, super nice,” he said. Young welcomed her with a friendly greeting, to which she responded, “I’m glad to be here, you have a beautiful state.” Young also noted the warmth of Johnson, who he recognized from local sitcoms.

Despite being involved in a scene with Johnson, Young said information about the film remains limited. “A lot of it is hush-hush stuff right now,” he stated. He only received requests weeks ago to use the YMCA’s gym for a basketball scene.

Two girls’ teams from the YMCA were also invited to participate, including Erin Zackery’s 10-year-old daughter, Makayla. Zackery described the excitement among the girls and their families about being in a movie. However, they were given minimal information about the film’s plot. “They were just given instructions on, ‘Okay, now we want you guys to do this,’” she said.

Zackery emphasized the learning experience from the filming, stating, “We spent over 10 hours both Saturday and Sunday filming what’s probably going to be, like, three minutes in the movie.” She expressed appreciation for the film industry after witnessing the effort involved.

Other filming locations are rumored to include REI, though the company has not confirmed this. Extras have reported shooting scenes there, as well as at Arctic Roadrunner on Old Seward.

Young expressed pride in being part of this project. “How often do you get a movie to be filmed in Alaska?” he asked, highlighting the unique opportunity. “For us to be the location, and for us to be able to share our gym with a movie in Alaska, was phenomenal.”