Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson were seen filming a movie in Montclair this week at Tierney’s Tavern, a popular Irish bar that was named one of the best in America earlier this year.
The film, Song Sung Blue, is a forthcoming adaptation of a 2008 documentary of the same name. It’s based on the true story of Mike and Claire Sardina (played by Jackman and Hudson), a married Milwaukee couple of down-on-their-luck musicians who form a Neil Diamond/Patsy Cline tribute band, Lightning & Thunder. The documentary follows their inspiring and tragic love story, from their humble beginnings to their experience at the threshold of fame.
Principal photography for the film began in Monmouth County in October; Jackman, sporting long hair, greeted fans in Matawan.
Jackman, 56, is an Australian actor and Oscar nominee known for his role as Logan in The Wolverine, part of Marvel’s X-Men film series. He’s also a two-time Tony winner, and was Tony-nominated for his lead role as Harold Hill in the 2022-2023 Broadway revival of The Music Man with Sutton Foster. Jackman also starred in the musical films The Greatest Showman (2017) and Les Misérables (2012).
Hudson, 45, an Academy Award nominee for Almost Famous (2000), released her first studio album, Glorious, in May, telling People magazine at the time that music was her “first love.” The album was “really a lifetime in the making,” she added.
Song Sung Blue, written and directed by Craig Brewer—known for directing Hustle & Flow, Dolemite is My Name and Coming 2 America—also stars Michael Imperioli of Sopranos fame, Jim Belushi and King Princess.
New Jersey has become a hub for filmmaking in recent years, following Governor Phil Murphy’s reinstatement of tax incentives for film and television projects in 2018.
[RELATED: For Zach Braff, Making Movies in New Jersey Is Deeply Personal]
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