News: Jack Black films scene for ‘The Big Year’ at Big Cypress Gallery

Posted on July 29, 2010

News Press
BY AMY SOWDER 

07/29/10 

Our swamp attracted a star today.

A film crew sets up a scene for "The Big Year" starring Jack Black. (Photos by Amy Sowder/news-press.com)

Early this morning movie star Jack Black paddled the pond next to the parking lot of the Big Cypress Gallery.

The art gallery and Swamp Walk tours that embark from there are in the Ochopee, east of U.S. 41 and State Road 29 in unincorporated Collier County.

Everglades photographer Clyde Butcher's gallery was a hotbed of almost 30 film crew people and law enforcement from 5 to 9 a.m., said gallery manager John Shinault.

"It was like an invasion," Shinault said. "I was amazed how fast everything went."

Jack Black paddles the Everglades today while filming a scene for "The Big Year."

Scheduled to release in 2011, the movie was "The Big Year," about three avid bird watchers starring Black, Steve Martin, Owen Wilson, Anjelica Huston, Kevin Pollak, Joel McHale and Dianne Wiest, among other actors.

Black paddled a canoe in the pond while two alligator wranglers hid nearby to ensure no reptiles got too friendly with the star.

Donna Glann-Smyth was starstruck but kept her cool and spoke with Black.

"He was asking ‘Do people actually go into the swamp?' and I wanted to talk to him so I jumped in and said ‘Yeah! I walk in the swamp for a living,'" Glann-Smyth said.

"I have to tell you it was impressive to see him right there in front of me five feet away."

Shinault said he is already noticing more film crews taking advantage of the Florida Film & Entertainment Industry Financial Incentive Program, which went into effect July 1.

The crew planned to stop in Cooper City for lunch, shoot some scenes in Key West and then Black will fly back to Los Angeles, Shinault said.

"We need to start calling it ‘Swampwood,'" Shinault said about the Big Cypress in Collier.

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