Mark Hamill spotted filming in Manitoba town

Mark Hamill is pictured on Aug. 27 filming the upcoming movie "The Long Walk" in Stonewall, Man. (Kirsten Ellison)

From the Millennium Falcon to a military Jeep.

Star Wars icon Mark Hamill rode through the streets of Stonewall, Man. last month filming scenes atop what looked to be an Army vehicle for the upcoming film adaptation of Stephen King's "The Long Walk."

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According to ACTRA Manitoba, the Lionsgate feature was scheduled to shoot in our province from mid-July until this week.

Business owner Kirsten Ellison got a front-row seat to the movie-making magic last month.

Traffic in front of her Main Street body sugaring and aesthetics business was shut down for the production on Aug. 27, transforming the roadway for a few days with vintage cars and new business facades.

A vintage police cruiser used in the filming of "The Long Walk" on Main Street in Stonewall, Man. is pictured on Aug. 27, 2024. (Kirsten Ellison)

In the days leading up to the shoot, Ellison said she couldn't get confirmation as to whether Hamill himself would film scenes there.

But when the director called action, with Ellison watching from her window, it was plain to see.

"It was pretty obvious as he crossed the street. You can't miss Luke Skywalker," Ellison told CTV News Winnipeg.

The book, published in 1979 under King's pseudonym Richard Bachman, was the first novel the legendary author penned. It tells the story of a brutal walking competition in a dystopian, near-future America ruled by a totalitarian regime.

Ellison said many films have been shot on Stonewall's main drag, mostly Lifetime and Hallmark movies, which have become the meat and potatoes of Manitoba's film industry.

While Star Wars has a notoriously rabid following, Ellison said the project is exciting to her based on another iconic presence in the project.

"I'm a massive Stephen King fan," she said. "So I was very excited about this."

Mark Hamill cruises by in a military-looking vehicle while filming in Stonewall, Man. on Aug. 27, 2024. (Kirsten Ellison)