'Surrogates' Lynn filming wraps today??????

A chase scene for the film “Surrogates’ was lensed repeatedly in Lynn’s Central Square Thursday afternoon. Item photo / Owen O'Rourke

By David Liscio / The Daily Item

LYNN - Filming of scenes from the upcoming Bruce Willis movie "Surrogates" was expected to wrap up in Lynn today after nearly a month of Hollywood-style action in the city's downtown business district.

While most Tinsel Town fans were eager for an up-close look at the machinations of moviemaking, not everyone was thrilled about the necessary parking restrictions and closed streets.

Click Here to see raw video of a motorcycle chase filmed on Exchange Street.

Click here for photo gallery from the filming of "Surrogates."

Merchants along Munroe Street where the bulk of the filming was conducted felt the sting of lost customer revenue from Wednesday through Friday.

Andrea Scalise, an aide to Mayor Edward Clancy Jr., said some of those businesses negotiated privately with the film production company regarding compensation for the inconvenience. "I don't know the particulars," she said. "I do know that some of the people whose businesses were closed during the filming were compensated."

The production also required the relocation of the city's Third Thursdays celebration from its location in Central Square to Lynn Heritage State Park on the waterfront.

According to Scalise, the film company paid for the event relocation. "They did give a donation that covered the cost of moving the event to the waterfront and gave some additional donation as well," she said, noting that the funds were paid to the Central Square Collaborative, the organization that oversees the Third Thursdays celebrations.

Although it appeared the production company would wrap up its Lynn location filming today with a motorcycle and helicopter chase scene along Andrew Street, Scalise said no final date was discussed. "They sort of left the window open for next week," she said.

Thursday's filming was centered along Munroe Street and in an alley under the elevated railroad bridge that spans Central Square. Like the day before, it involved a motorcycle pursued by two Boston police cruisers and a helicopter.

Willis was in Lynn during the late-May shooting dates but not for the June chase scenes. The film has been scheduled for release in 2009.