Men in Black 3 Set on Coney Island Boardwalk. Photo © Diana Taft Shumate
Coney Island is ready for its close-up in Men in Black 3! Retro-looking booths and signage started going up last Monday on the beach side of the Boardwalk from 12th Street to Stillwell Avenue. Madame Zava Phrenology, Balloon Dart, Water Race, Cotton Candy, and a Souvenir Stand topped by a mini Astroland Rocket delighted visitors over the weekend. Thanks to Coney Island photographer Diana Taft Shumate for this set of photos. Filming begins on the Boardwalk on Monday morning, May 2, and continues through May 5 at other Coney locations, including the Bowery on Wednesday.
THe Fortune Teller: Men in Black 3 Set on Coney Island Boardwalk. Photo © Diana Taft Shumate
Men In Black 3 stars Will Smith as Agent J traveling back in time to 1969 to stop a villain from killing a young Agent K played by Josh Brolin. According to the storyline, if the killing were carried out in the past, it would result in the destruction of Earth in the present. As ATZ reported in “Men in Black 3 Rescues Coney Island’s Oldest Building” (ATZ, April 10) the production company leased Coney Island’s oldest building, the long vacant Grashorn, from Thor Equities and rescued it from oblivion. They fixed up the gutted interior of the building located at Surf and Jones Walk to use as their location headquarters.
The Rocket: Men in Black 3 Set on Coney Island Boardwalk. Photo © Diana Taft Shumate
Our favorite part of the Boardwalk set is this darling little Rocket. Was it inspired by the Astroland Rocket, which was perched atop the roof of Gregory & Paul’s Boardwalk eatery until two years ago? The Rocket came to Coney Island’s Astroland Park in 1962 as one of the first of the imaginary space voyage simulators constructed during the Space Race. What role will the imaginary Coney Island of Men in Black 3 play in saving the Earth from destruction? We’ll find out when the film premieres next May!
Cotton Candy: Men in Black 3 Set on Coney Island Boardwalk. Photo © Diana Taft Shumate
Related posts on ATZ…
April 2, 2011: Coney Island 2011: Free Movie Screenings on the Beach
April 10, 2011: Men in Black 3 Rescues Coney Island’s Oldest Building
January 27, 2011: Video: Coney Island: Secrets of the Universe by Charles Denson
September 20, 2010: Movie Monday: Teaser Trailers from the Coney Island Film Festival
Amusing the Zillion 
If only Coney would look like that after they leave :(
I LURVE that rocket!!
The rocket is so cute. It’s going to be fun to see the imaginary Coney (props, storyline) and the real Coney in the movie. And to look for some of our friends who were hired as extras
[…] Now Amusing the Zillion is reporting that they’ve gussied up the boardwalk from West 12th Street to Stillwell Avenue for their time-travel twist, giving it a late-1960s look. Amusing the Zillion has more photos and details on that. […]