Filmmaking to disrupt Georgetown’s Easter

WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Georgetown parishioners and Trinity Church have expressed concerns over expected disruptions brought about by Easter Sunday filming of “National Treasure 2” in neighborhoods around the church.

As a result of the filming, the city will close off curb-lane parking on four streets near the church on Sunday, said Crystal Palmer, District Office of Motion Picture and TV Development spokeswoman. To help offset the inconvenience, producers will provide some extra parking for parishioners, she said.

Filmmakers working on the sequel to the 2004 Disney blockbuster, slated for a December release, rescheduled filming in the area from March 29 to Easter Sunday after production delays, only informing the community of the change on Monday, said Betty Cooley, Citizens Association of Georgetown executive director.

“We had not worked closely with this and we would not have approved this,” Cooley said. “I don’t know anyone in the neighborhood who supports this. This is too disruptive on a holiday.”

The church, which expects up to 6,000 parishioners for Sunday’s Mass, spent the week pressing the Office of Motion Picture and TV Development to change the time of the movie’s filming, originally scheduled for 9 a.m., to accommodate holiday services. They eventually convinced the office to force production back to 3:30 p.m., two hours after mass, Archdiocese of Washington spokeswoman Susan Gibbs said.

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