Film crews roll into Concord to shoot Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker story

CONCORD, N.C. — Concord residents were caught off guard Friday after film crews set up and began shooting on the campus of Barber-Scotia College.

[The rise and fall of Jim, Tammy Faye Bakker and their ministry]

The movie is called "The Eyes of Tammy Faye," the story behind the dynamic rise and subsequent fall of Charlotte televangelists Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker.

It's being produced by Fox Searchlight Pictures.

"We kind of wanted to keep it close to home," assistant locations manager, Jordan Keane, said about the decision to shoot in Cabarrus County.

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"Everyone here seems to have a connection to the Bakkers somehow, whether they saw them at church or knew people that knew them or something like that, it's been interesting to see the impact they had out here," Keane said.

Andrew Garfield and Jessica Chastain could be seen on set in the college's quad as they played out the leading roles.

Keane said only one scene will be shot at Barber-Scotia, but it provided the perfect backdrop for what was needed.

"We could time travel," she explained. "This story takes place over many decades and, at this point, the age of the buildings and the history of it really helps the scene along instead of something more modern."

The crew was also spotted down the road in Mount Pleasant on Thursday, much to the surprise of town officials.

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Assistant Town Manager Crystal Smith said while the town doesn't have any regulations regarding film permits, this one-of-a-kind experience might change that.

"It's such great exposure for the town," Smith said. "We do wish we would have been made aware. We could have prepared our staff, communicated with the residents and thinking about safety of our residents and anyone who passes through the community."

Smith said the actors shot at the old Mount Pleasant Middle School, the Carolina Country Inn and the Pleasant Memories ice cream shop.

Shoots for "The Eyes of Tammy Faye " will continue in the Charlotte area into December.

Extras are still needed for different dates. You can find that information here.

Cox Media Group