Film Production Begins at Middletown’s Former Circus Liquors Location

A film crew started shooting Tuesday at what used to be Circus Liquors on Route 35 in Middletown. MRC and Truck Stop Productions will work there until late June.

Township officials won't say who's acting in the movie. A spokeswoman declined to share names Tuesday. MRC is an independent studio that made The Gallerist with Natalie Portman and Jenna Ortega in 2024.

The Route 35 spot will get dressed up to look like a gas station, though it won't pump actual fuel. Everything's temporary. Once cameras stop rolling, crews will strip away the set pieces, according to a statement on the township's website.

The Azzolina family owns this 51-acre tract and has spent years hunting for a buyer. The township once tried using eminent domain to seize it but failed.

Township leaders say the front portion — the parking lot facing Route 35 — can only house commercial or public uses like soccer fields. Right now it's just an empty lot. That's where filming happens.

"Middletown has become a welcoming destination for film and television productions," said Mayor Tony Perry, per Patch. "Our diverse locations, easy access, and close coordination with production teams continue to attract major projects."

Other movies have shot scenes here recently. The Bob Dylan biopic Deliver Me From Nowhere filmed in the area during the past two years.

Mean Girls: The Musical shot footage in 2023 at the old Mater Dei Catholic high school campus. The Last Mrs. Parrish came through town most recently.

Jennifer Lopez and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau star in The Last Mrs. Parrish. Crews spent several weeks last October working along Navesink River Road, McClees Road, and Sailors Way.

Perry said these projects pump money into local businesses and prove the area welcomes filmmakers. The mayor mentioned Clerks III and Happy Gilmore 2 as other productions that have set up shop in Middletown.