By Suhel Singh Randhawa
A cursory glance across York’s campus will tell you that this place is, well, to put it simply, really beautiful. Whether it’s the fall foliage we are taking in at this time of year, or the blend of various types of architecture, York’s campuses, both Keele and Glendon are indeed a delight to look at. This knowledge has not remained a secret, as moviemakers and video directors have come here to grace their creations with glimpses of this place.
PSA: Spoiler Alert!
Work It (2020), a dance comedy film starring Sabrina Carpenter, shows a scene in which Quinn Ackerman (played by Sabrina Carpenter) and Jasmine Hale (played by Liza Koshy) dance around the fountain in front of Vari Hall. Also, all of the film’s stage scenes were shot in the Sandra Faire and Ivan Fecan Theatre, located inside the Accolade East building. Watch the dance scene filmed in the Sandra Faire and Ivan Fecan Theatre.
Downsizing (2017), a sci-fi comedy drama film starring Matt Damon and Christoph Waltz, also features a scene in which the York campus appears. The protagonist Paul Safranek (played by Matt Damon) can be seen walking through Vari Hall (changed for the movie, but yet totally recognizable to us Lions), and is then seen in front of Vari Hall.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022–), a sci-fi television series of the famed Star Trek franchise, also shot a scene at York, featuring Vari Hall and the corridor connecting Vari Hall and the Central Square.
York’s very own Rachel McAdams, who graduated from the theatre program with a BFA in 2001, also shot a scene of her 2010 movie, The Time Traveller’s Wife, a romantic sci-fi drama film, on the campus of York’s Glendon Campus.
DJ Khaled’s 2022 music video for the song STAYING ALIVE, featuring Drake and Lil Baby, was shot at York’s Glendon Campus.
Splice (2009), a sci-fi horror film starring Adrian Brody, featured many scenes shot at York University.
Spinning Boris (2003), a comedy film starring Jeff Goldblum, also features a scene shot at York. This scene features guards and cars outside of the Ross Building, which is renamed the “President Hotel.”
The Handmaid’s Tale (2017-), a dystopian television series starring Elizabeth Moss also shot a scene on the first floor of Vari Hall.
Apart from these major productions, York has also been featured in numerous TV shows and short films.
York is indeed a captivating destination for a filmmaker, as it offers a variety of landscapes and buildings. Now that we have returned to campus , I am certainly looking forward to seeing a movie or music video being filmed on campus. Who knows, maybe one of us will end up in the background of one of the shots! Or even better, a director will discover one of York’s students and cast one of us in a leading role!
Okay, that’s enough daydreaming.