Businesses in Whanganui 's Ridgway St set to close for film shoot

Ridgway St business owners have confirmed they'll be closing on May 10 to make way for a film production. Photo / Bevan Conley

Rumours that a production company has been in talks to use the Whanganui CBD for a feature film appear to be true, with Whanganui District Council confirming an application has been made to close parts of two central city streets.

The council's compliance team leader, Sandra Woodhead, confirmed an application has been made to close off parts of Ridgway St and Victoria Ave.

The application is in its "early stages", meaning the council can't yet confirm the dates or duration of the requested closure, nor how much of each street would be closed to the public.

However, the closure will be publicly notified if the application is successful.

The Chronicle spoke to a number of Ridgway St business operators, who said they had been approached by a production company, with the date of May 10 set down for filming.

One business owner, who did not want to be identified, told the Chronicle it was their understanding dirt is to be spread across the street, with the scene believed to be based in the 19th century.

"They're closing off the street and putting dirt all over it. I think it's just one scene."

Another staff member at a Ridgway St business, who also asked not to be identified, said they'd been informed by their boss not to come in on the day of filming.

It's understood that the production company will be picking up the bill for the lost revenue of businesses affected by the closure,

Last week, the Chronicle reported that the production appears to be headed by A24 films - the same company that spent two months on a Fordell farm filming a horror movie earlier this year.

That film saw a cast of high-profile Hollywood stars base themselves in the region as production got under way.