Look to the skies at Mentor Headlands Beach and it’s easy to spot a bird or a plane. Next week, you might also see Superman.
A film project codenamed “Genesis” and widely believed to be the next Superman movie will be in production at the beach next Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Mentor Headlands State Park will be closed. Production will stop for Wednesday’s Juneteenth holiday and the beach will be open.
One parking lot is already filled with production trailers, while a large section of the sand now looks like a vintage military installation with Army tents. Rick Calhoun lives nearby and was checking out the set this week.
“Well, it’s obviously a military setup,” he said. “I’m thinking they’re going to simulate helicopter drops.
Very few details have been released about the movie, slated for release in July 2025. It’s considered a reboot of the Man of Steel’s story, which began in real life in Cleveland in the 1930s. Superman was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, who met while attending Glenville High School.
The Cleveland connection is one reason Billy Tucholski is a fan and has seen all of the Superman films since the 1970s. He now lives in Eastlake and is a frequent visitor to Mentor Headlands.
“Hopefully this brings a lot of popularity over here because this is a very beautiful beach,” he said. “It's actually very good to see it shot here. It’s very interesting to know that when I see the movie, my beach is going to be in the movie.”
The “Genesis” project received more than $11 million in tax credits, which is a quarter of what’s being awarded to production this year by the Ohio Department of Development.
Officials with the Greater Cleveland Film Commission said they can’t comment on what exactly is shooting in Mentor next week due to a nondisclosure agreement. Bill Garvey, president of the commission, did share in an email that this year has been their best ever, “securing multiple productions totaling over $147 million in production budget to choose NE Ohio.”
Melissa Brown from Cleveland brings her son to the beach at least twice a week. When she learned that Mentor Headlands might be part of the new Superman film, she had only one response.
“I think it's dope to see our state and city in the movies!” Brown said.
The production is also slated to film in Cincinnati.
