Something is always happening in Hoboken and Jersey City.
Maybe it’s a new restaurant opening, a festival shutting down streets, or maybe, just maybe, it’s Hollywood taking over for the day.
Lately, the latter has been a common sight.
If you’ve walked past a film crew recently, chances are you stumbled upon Late Fame, the latest movie production making use of Hoboken’s cinematic streets.
And it’s not unusual anymore.
These cities, sitting just across the river from Manhattan, have become unofficial backlots for filmmakers who want the character of New York without the hassle.
On January 23rd, a portion of Bloomfield Street in Hoboken became the set for this upcoming film, which will star Willem Dafoe and Sandra Hüller.
- Hoboken and Jersey City continue to be hotspots for film and television productions, attracting big Hollywood names.
- One of the first major productions of 2025, Late Fame, has been spotted filming in the area, starring Willem Dafoe and Sandra Hüller.
- The film follows the story of a long-forgotten poet rediscovering his influence through a group of young artists.
Willem Dafoe, Sandra Hüller, and the Story of Late Fame
If you saw Willem Dafoe strolling through Hoboken that day, congratulations—you just witnessed a Hollywood legend at work.
Fresh from his latest role in Nosferatu, Dafoe is now playing Ed Saxberger, a man whose literary career was over before it even started.
Decades after publishing a book of poetry that went unnoticed, he suddenly finds himself celebrated by a younger generation of artists who believe they’ve unearthed a hidden genius.
And then there’s Gloria.
Played by Sandra Hüller—who has been on a roll with award-worthy performances—Gloria is a theater actress with a magnetic, unpredictable personality.
She’s the kind of person who draws people in and keeps them guessing, and in Saxberger’s new circle of admirers, she’s the one who unsettles him the most.
Filming took place inside several properties along Bloomfield Street.
Why Filmmakers Keep Coming Back to Hoboken and Jersey City
Filmmakers love these cities, and they keep coming back.
There’s history here—the kind that makes every shot feel richer, and every scene looks a little more lived-in.
Hoboken’s brownstones, tucked-away corners, and small-town feel within an urban landscape—it all works.
Jersey City, meanwhile, offers its own advantages.
It has the grandness of an industrial past and the sleekness of modern development.
It can look like an old East Coast neighborhood in one scene and a buzzing financial district in the next.
And crucially, both cities let filmmakers avoid the logistical nightmare of filming in Manhattan.
More Hollywood Productions Are on Their Way in 2025
This is only the beginning of the year, and Late Fame is just the first production to claim a slice of Hoboken for itself.
So, you can expect more will follow.
More streets will be closed, more cafés will suddenly be packed with actors pretending to have conversations, and more trailers will pop up overnight.
If you missed the Late Fame filming, keep your eyes open.
The next time you turn a corner and see a director’s chair, a boom mic hovering over a scene, or a face you swear you recognize—it might just be Hollywood at work again.
