Excelsior Springs, MO (October 24, 2024) – Excitement swept through Excelsior Springs last month when the beloved stars of Impractical Jokers were spotted in an unexpected location: the local Casey’s gas station. Local fans of the popular hidden camera show speculated wildly about why James “Murr” Murray, Sal Vulcano, Brian “Q” Quinn, and Joe Gatto had traveled so far from their New York stomping grounds to Excelsior Springs. Now, the reason is finally clear: Murr was in town to prepare for filming his upcoming horror movie, Don’t Move, based on his 2020 novel co-written with Darren Wearmouth.
On September 3, witnesses saw Murray hop out of a van in front of the gas station, accompanied by his fellow Jokers, attempting to keep a low profile as he grabbed some drinks. “He seemed rushed,” shared one Casey’s employee. “The other guys were eager to get him back on the road.” Though Murr was polite and posed for a few photos, he dodged questions about his mysterious stop in Excelsior Springs. Days later, he confirmed during an Instagram livestream that he was preparing to film Don’t Move, a thriller with a spine-tingling premise, in the Kansas City area.
A few weeks later, on September 24, residents took to social media when the parking lot of the United Methodist Church was filled with production trailers and a swarm of activity. It turns out the cast and crew utilized the church’s community room and commercial kitchen as a staging area for the first day of filming for Don’t Move, which took place next door at the Excelsior Springs Hospital.
The former nursing and rehab wing of Excelsior Springs Hospital, which is currently not being used, provided the perfect, eerie backdrop for the film’s climactic hospital scene. Kristen DeHart, CEO of the hospital, expressed her surprise at the unexpected collaboration, saying, “When I first got the call from the location scout, I thought it was a prank,” she laughed. DeHart finally returned the call and quickly realized it was “the real deal.”
Once the location was settled, DeHart said the crew came fully prepared, staging several areas of the hospital wing with props, lights, and some very convincing ‘Employee of the Month’ posters.” Filming at the hospital took place overnight starting on the evening of September 23 and wrapping up at around 10:00 am the next morning. DeHart also confirmed that all four Jokers were at the hospital during the scouting trip in early September. As a thank you to the hospital, Murray later signed Impractical Jokers merch and photos that were auctioned at the hospital’s annual healthcare foundation gala, with proceeds being used for equipment upgrades.
Click the video above to see Murr as he gives a tour of our Excelsior Springs Hospital.
The excitement extended to Kearney, Missouri, where resident Heidi Boss welcomed Murray and the crew to her family’s farmhouse and cave. Boss shared on Facebook, “Now that filming has wrapped up, I’m thrilled to reveal that our home in Kearney, Missouri, was recently transformed into a movie set.” She shared that she and her family were delighted to meet Murray and see the film crew at work, posting behind-the-scenes footage and photos on her personal social media.
In Don’t Move, widow Megan Forrester joins a church camping trip to find solace after losing her husband and son. However, the group’s journey takes a horrifying turn, leaving them lost in an uncharted canyon stalked by a monstrous prehistoric arachnid. With every movement drawing the creature’s attention, Megan must summon all her strength to survive.
The cast includes Kansas City area native Rob Riggle along with Lyndsy Fonseca, Russ Vitale, Tom Cavanagh, Hunter King, and Joseph Lee Anderson. Filming took place at various Kansas City locations, with behind-the-scenes snippets shared on the movie’s Instagram account. Murray and David M. Wulf served as producers, with Maclain Nelson directing the film from a script he co-wrote with Murray and Wearmouth. Don’t Move officially wrapped filming in Kansas City on October 18, 2024, and is set for release in late 2025.
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