About one year ago, parts of the Bartholomew County Public Library in Columbus were transformed into the Framingham Museum of Art for the film "The Mastermind.” Now, that movie is out in theaters.
Set in 1970, the film focuses on failed architect James Blaine Mooney, played by Josh O’Conner, as he attempts to steal paintings from the art museum.
BCPL Library Director Jason Hatton got a call from the location director in summer 2024 asking if part of the movie could be filmed at the library. Most of the movie was filmed in Cincinnati, but the production crew was looking for a space that looked like it was set in the 70s.
“It's one of those things that, you know, I never know what kind of a call I'm going to get,” he said. “It’s still really kind of surreal to me to know that on the other end of that line was somebody wanting to do a pretty big movie.”
Hatton said the library closed for three days last October to allow filming to occur. There were about 100 crew members, including directors, actors and camera people. They shot scenes around the building, in the parking lot and in the front entryway by the stairs. To stay true to the time period the film is set in, Hatton said the crew brought older cars and replaced the sliding doors at the entrance with fake swinging doors.
“They did put up some white false walls to be able to hide some of the pieces, for example, in the front entryway to hide the bookcases,” he said. “And they also, to my understanding, they were going to use some green screen technology to be able to kind of move some of the walls around if they needed to.”
Hatton said they also hung up a piece of artwork in the main entrance and created flyers specific to the art museum and exhibition the movie was focusing on. The film debuted this week at the YES Cinema in Columbus.
This isn’t the first time the library has been featured in a film. Many scenes from the movie “Columbus” were shot at the library, where architecture enthusiast Casey, played by Haley Lu Richardson, worked. Parts of “The Ice Cream Man” were shot in Zaharakos, a revered ice cream shop in Columbus.
Hatton said he will take any opportunity to showcase the community.
“That is just so important to our community and what brings people in, what brings visitors in, right?” he said. “We love to see that.”
