“We all know how amazing James Cameron did with Titanic but to really learn that the real unsinkable (ship) was the Queen Mary and not the Titanic, was really captivating,” said Brett Tomberlin, producer of the newly announced Queen Mary movie that has begun filming in Long Beach.
Titled The Queen Mary, the film is the first of three and while the plot has yet to be revealed, the trilogy will focus on the history and supernatural tales of the ship.
The RMS Queen Mary was a British ocean liner that sailed from 1936 to 1967. According to the ship’s website, the ship was a pivotal role in the allied forces victory in the Second World War since the Queen Mary hauled up to 15,000 troops.
The ship has been docked in Long Beach since 1967 and has been reported to be haunted by visitors and guests.
Charlotte Alexander, a former worker on the Queen Mary did not encounter any supernatural experiences working there but has met employees that have.
Alexander said, “A lot of people who work there have said they had supernatural experiences. It didn’t really happen to me but I know a lot of coworkers who said they felt chills when they walked through the boat.”
According to Tomberlin, the horror film will also deal with ghosts on the ship.
“We wanted some of the ghosts in the film to feel like they were watching over conversations,” said Tomberlin.
The decision to film a trilogy rather than one film is to explore a story that can be told across different time periods and settings.
“What made it obvious that we had to make this a trilogy is the ability to tell this story across different kinds of settings. Whether it be the start of the Queen Mary being built, right before the war or even present day,” said Tomberlin.
Tomberlin explained that the infamous first class swimming pool will be used in the movie as a portal to travel to the other side. The other side refers to the unknown realm of where ones’ soul goes after death.
The film has been in the works for a decade and the legal complications were crucial since the ship has had different owners throughout the years.
“A lot of parties have owned the Queen Mary, from the Garrison Group and the Walt Disney Company at one point,” said Tomberlin.
In 1988, the Walt Disney Company acquired the ship after buying the Disney Hotel back from businessman Jack Wrather, who owned the hotel and Queen Mary at the time.
“Who’s making sure all those old owners have relinquished all rights in all media? That was a challenge,” said Tomberlin.
According to Tomberlin, the pandemic has added to their decade of development as there have been complications getting funding.
“In order to be as safe as possible, you have to have your COVID insurance and unfortunately the state of California and the people who oversee the tax credit film commission are not the sharpest tools in the shed,” said Tomberlin.
The California Film Commission provides tax credits for eligible productions that are produced in California.
Tomberlin has had to seek this funding internationally.
“In the last 30-40 years, they have not come to discover a way to keep productions in California, so we had to seek COVID coverage and tax credits from the UK. It’s shameful,” said Tomberlin.
The film will also take place and shoot overseas in London.
Tomberlin said, “It’s very shameful that a landmark like the Queen Mary can’t get support from their own state of California, of which the Queen Mary drives many visitors to the actual ship and brings revenue to the city.”
While critical of the California Film Commission, Tomberlin has been actively working with the city of Long Beach. He said, “The city has been nothing but supportive through the whole entire thing, the mayor has been absolutely amazing but the Film Commission is an embarrassment.”
Production has begun in Long Beach and digital scans of the ship have been produced to use on four story LED screens.
“Some of the shoots we are doing are impossible to do on the ship because we don’t want to damage it … We have LIDAR scanned the ship and we’re going to put those backdrops on these huge four story LED screens and add set extensions,” Tomberlin said.
The biggest challenge for the film according to Tomberlin is to not make a cheesy horror film.
Tomberlin said, “I think the biggest challenge in a way is educating (the audience) that this is a true story. It isn’t a bunch of writers who just made something up, it’s a location that you can go and visit, and I think that’s what makes it actually terrifying.”
The Queen Mary has been closed throughout 2020 and has yet to be announced for a reopening.
“We’re not looking for cheap scares … that’s why we’ve taken our time all these years to make sure we get it right,” said Tomberlin.