‘Mare of Easttown’ follow-up films at Ralph’s in South Philly
The new HBO crime series “Task,” which stars Mark Ruffalo, makes its rounds in the Italian Market.
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With the production of the upcoming HBO crime drama “Task” in full swing, the Mark Ruffalo-led series and Mare of Easttown follow-up is making its rounds in the Philadelphia area. Among its filming locations is Ralph’s Italian Restaurant in South Philly.
The new series revolves around an FBI agent, played by Ruffalo, who’s leading a task force set out to end a string of drug-house robberies. And like Mare of Easttown, screenwriter Brad Ingelsby’s latest project is based in the working-class areas of Philadelphia and its surrounding suburbs.
Gleaner’s Cafe reposted an Instagram story that announced Ralph’s as a filming location. Production began at 8 p.m. on Tuesday and continues through 10 p.m. on Wednesday on various streets throughout the Italian Market, according to the post.
Along with the use of nearby locations, showrunners have called for Philly actors to lend their talents to the project.
In February, Philly-based agency Heery Loftus Casting posted a series of casting calls on Instagram to find actors to fill various roles in the upcoming project. It also noted that filming will take place through August.
In one of its posts, the casting company was seeking twins and a legitimate courtroom sketch artist to play a key role in the series.
Another post was asking for members of the Dominican community between the ages of 25-75 and men of all ethnicities between the ages of 25-55 to portray “tough criminal types” and law enforcement officers.
The series will be directed by Jeremiah Zagar. The South Philly native also directed the Adam Sandler-led sports drama Hustle and the 2008 documentary In a Dream, which is about his father, famed mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar.
Ruffalo, who’s fresh off an Oscar nomination for Poor Things, will be joined by actors Tom Pelphrey, Emilia Jones, Thuso Mbedu, and others in the series.
It’s still unclear whether Kate Winslet will pop up as Mare Sheehan in the show, but in a January interview with Deadline, Ruffalo foreshadowed a potential connection between the shows. “At some point those two might run into each other in the future, that’s what they’re saying. It’s not set, nothing’s set.”