A major movie star has been visiting the Richmond area recently and leaving a trail of excited fans in his wake. Daniel Radcliffe is currently shooting a new movie, titled "Imperium," in nearby Hopewell, Virginia. But proximity isn’t the only connection the University of Richmond has to the film.
"Imperium" stars Radcliffe as an FBI agent who goes under cover to stop white supremacists from making a “dirty bomb,” according to WTVR. The film is based on the experiences of FBI agent Michael German, but set in 2015.
Sloan True, Richmond class of 2011, is the wardrobe supervisor for "Imperium," and is second only to the costume designer
“I help [the costume designer] with fittings," True said. "I dress the actors on a daily basis and make sure everyone’s in the right clothes."
True’s job requires her to work closely with the cast of the film, including Radcliffe.
“He’s a fantastic guy. He’s extremely nice,” True said. “He’s amazing to work with.”
True lives in Richmond and has worked on many other local projects including the TV series TURN: Washington’s Spies and Meg Ryan’s "Ithaca." She said working on "Imperium" has been an exciting change of pace for her."It’s exciting for us around here," she said, "because we always do historical stuff so it’s a great change. We get to do something modern.”
Amy Andrews, the costume designer for "Imperium," has worked with True for several years and is also a close friend of Johann Stegmeir, associate professor of theatre. Through his connection with Andrews, Stegmeir has dyed costumes for the film, including those of Radcliffe, on “an as-need basis.”
Although the production of "Imperium" is largely taking place in Hopewell, Radcliffe has been seen throughout Richmond in the past month.
Senior Ala Wales spotted the Harry Potter star casually enjoying a meal at local restaurant Osaka last month. Radcliffe appeared to go unnoticed by other customers, Wales said.
“[Radcliffe] was there for about an hour sitting at the sushi bar with two other guys,” Wales said. “He seemed like a normal guy having dinner with friends, which is probably why no one really noticed him or cared.”
Senior Campbell Crochiere was with Wales and believed it was not the first time Radcliffe had visited Osaka. She said she previously saw a black SUV and a driver outside the restaurant.
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“We joked that someone famous was eating at Osaka when we saw the car and driver, but didn’t think anything of it,” Crochiere said. “The next week when we ate at Osaka when Daniel Radcliffe was there, we left the restaurant at the same time as him and watched him get into a black SUV parked outside the entrance with a driver waiting outside for him.”
Walter Schoen, associate professor of theatre, also found a connection to Radcliffe through his son, who met the star at Max’s on Broad recently.
“He was very nice to the staff at Max’s,” Schoen said. “He evidently has quite a sense of humor.”
Radcliffe sightings have also been reported in both Hopewell and Richmond. He even reportedly checked out the UCI World Championships last month, according to WTVR.
The proximity of the film’s main filming location may interest Richmond students in "Imperium."
“I think it’s cool that the movie is filmed in the Richmond area, so that would also make me more inclined to watch it,” Crochiere said.
A local business is also capitalizing on the Harry Potter fever. Radcliffe’s stay in town coincides with Carytown Cupcakes’ Harry Potter theme week, running from Monday, Oct. 19 until Sunday, Oct. 25.
Filming of "Imperium" is currently ongoing and is scheduled to continue in Hopewell until Oct. 23, according to WTVR.
Contact reporter Ashlee Korlach at ashlee.korlach@richmond.edu.
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