Over the last couple weeks, you might have seen filming notices pop up around San Francisco. That's because ABC's upcoming When We Rise miniseries — based off the memoir by LGBT rights activist Cleve Jones, directed and written by Milk team Gus Van Sant and Dustin Lance Black, respectively — is shooting around town.
According to Hoodline, "The crew will also venture to the Upper Haight [today], shooting scenes in Buena Vista Park and at Haight & Central," while wrapping things up on Saturday, "with shooting from 11am-5pm at 18th & Castro—including scenes outside 520 Castro, formerly Harvey Milk's Castro Camera (and now the HRC Store)."
As for the groovy attire and storefront transformations around the city, it's all part of the series. Here are some scenes from last night in the Castro wherein Gyro Express (at the corner of Castro and 18th) was remade back into Star Pharmacy (which, back in the day, was actually across the street at the spot now occupied by a 24-hour Walgreen's).
The pharmacy is historic for being the first place in the city to notify residents of "gay cancer" that was claiming the lives of so many of our residents.
Some of the cast in full 1970s regalia.
Production has even temporarily done away with the rainbow crosswalks at 18th and Castro in order to bring it back to the era. (The multi-hued crosswalks were installed in 2015.)
This scene, shot right outside the Castro Theater, is a reenactment of a gay-bashing, a regular occurrence (although it still happens in 2016) in the neighborhood back in the day.
The Castro isn't the only district getting a makeover for TV. The Mission got a '70s redo too.
There was also a shoot this week at City Hall for the reenactment of the White Knight Riots, a call to action over the pathetic sentencing of then-supervisor Dan White, who shot and killed Harvey Milk and mayor George Moscone.
And here's screenwriter Black is inside the setting for the Castro Camera Shop, Milk's former business and campaign headquarters.
Jones's memoir covers the span of LGBT history in San Francisco, including HIV/AIDS-related protests in the 1990s. Here are some political advertisements for then supervisor Carole Migden.
The miniseries, set to be air later this year, will feature Guy Pearce, Mary-Louise Parker, and Rachel Griffiths. Expect to see them filming around town this weekend and next week.