Joker 2 filming on the former Isolation Hospital in Belleville – The Artsology Weblog

I’ve written different weblog posts concerning the Essex County Isolation Hospital, an attention-grabbing and considerably creepy deserted hospital which has flirted with growth tasks over time, none of which appear to have come to fruition. Whereas within the space just lately, I saved noticing numerous classic Seventies and Nineteen Eighties vehicles with no license plates parked within the car parking zone, and cranes and other people milling round. Somebody steered {that a} film was going to be filmed there, however no explicit clues. This web site had beforehand been utilized in a film – the 2001 film “A Stunning Thoughts” with Russell Crowe had scenes filmed there.

Vintage cars on a movie set in Belleville, NJ
Classic vehicles on a film set in Belleville, NJ on the former Essex County Isolation Hospital.

Final evening, I used to be within the space once more, and streets had been blocked off in every single place with police presence. One of many officers defined that they’d filming occurring, and that the film is “Joker 2,” the sequel to the 2019 Joker film starring Joaquin Phoenix. I discover this fairly attention-grabbing from my very own private expertise, as a result of when my youngsters had been little and we’d drive previous this place, I’d say to them “it’s an insane asylum” or “it’s Arkham Asylum,” from the Batman comics and video video games, which they favored to play. Because it was deserted all these years in the past after I’d say this to my youngsters, it was all the time darkish and forboding and regarded like an ideal setting for an insane asylum … and now with Joker 2 being filmed right here, it truly is changing into Arkham Asylum!

Right here’s a view from the bottom of the constructing, not the facet they’re filming on. It was the closest I might get – the police had been very strict in not even permitting pedestrians, not to mention vehicles, attending to the entrance whereas filming. I’ll be curious to see the film and see how the constructing takes a job within the film – the placement scout for Joker 2 was spot-on in selecting this place! When you’d prefer to learn extra or see some outdated photos of the within, check out this link here.

Joker 2 movie location in Belleville, NJ
The previous Essex County Isolation Hospital is at present getting used for scenes from the upcoming Joker 2 film.