Top secret George Clooney project ‘Tomorrowland’ heads to British Columbia

We still don’t know very much about “Mission: Impossible 4” director Brad Bird’s secretive Disney project “Tomorrowland.”

What we do know is that the sci-fi film borrows its title from one of Disney’s many theme park “lands,” that it stars George Clooney, Hugh Laurie, and Britt Robertson (“Under the Dome”), and that it reportedly involves robots, alternate dimensions, and a fight to save the future of Earth. That is, if the leaked “Tomorrowland” synopsis is to be believed.

The only official word from Disney about “Tomorrowland” has been the following cryptic blurb: “A high school girl (Robertson) with an unconventional understanding of technology is launched on a journey to reclaim her future.” It’s a vague description that could mean almost anything.

This week, though, we can add a few more details to the “Tomorrowland” picture as filming gets underway in British Columbia. News that filming would take place in Vancouver, B.C. broke last month, but what wasn't known was that "Tomorrowland" would be filming in the Okanagan region deep in the B.C. interior. The Okanagan is renowned for its stunning and varied geography that includes mountains, forests, lakes, and even a desert. That variety of potential filming locations reveals a little bit about what audiences can expect to see in "Tomorrowland."

"Tomorrowland" isn't the first big budget Hollywood production to shoot in British Columbia, and director Brad Bird and the House of Mouse are no strangers to the region. The "Incredibles" filmmaker previously shot parts of "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" in Vancouver, and Disney shot "TRON: Legacy" in and around Canada's third largest city.

The biggest recent blockbuster of note to shoot in Canada’s westernmost province was Zack Snyder’s “Man of Steel,” which was shot in Vancouver. It’s likely that Sndyer, who also shot “Watchmen” in Vancouver and claims to be very fond of his Canadian crews, may return to B.C. to shoot the upcoming “Superman vs. Batman” movie.

British Columbia is no stranger to big franchises. Most of the “X-Men” movies were partly shot at Vancouver Island’s Hatley Castle, which doubled as the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters. “The Twilight Saga” may have been set in nearby Forks, Washington, but the vampire romance series was actually shot a few hours north in and around Vancouver. Classics films like John Carpenter’s “The Thing,” “The Neverending Story,” and “Jumanji” were also shot in B.C.

For Vancouverites, spotting Hollywood stars is probably old hat by now. But you live in the more isolated Okanagan Valley, seeing George Clooney hanging around will probably be a bit of a surprise.

"Tomorrowland" is set for release on December 12, 2014