One Thousand Ocean, Boca Raton Resort and other Palm Beach County locations share limelight in movie ‘Parker’
The stars were out January 25th at One Thousand Ocean’s Private Screening Party celebrating the nationwide premiere of the action thriller “Parker.” Although Jennifer Lopez and Jason Statham received top billing, viewers thought the real stars were selected locations in Palm Beach County. Among them were the iconic One Thousand Ocean Ocean-to-Intracoastal condominium and the acclaimed Boca Raton Resort & Club in Boca Raton. Additionally, the cityscapes of West Palm Beach and the island of Palm Beach were in full view for a significant portion of the film.
“When Jennifer Lopez, who plays the role of a real estate agent, tells her new client, a thief named Parker (Statham), to ‘Meet me at the One Thousand Ocean building,’ the audience filling the upstairs reserved seats at the Premier Theater at the Cinemark Palace 20 applauded and whistled with pride,” said an appreciative Jamie Telchin, president of development with LXR Luxury Resorts & Hotels. An LXR affiliate developed the 52-unit building situated at the Boca Raton Inlet.
Based on the novel “Flashfire” by the late Donald Westlake, the production company making ‘Parker’ shot a key scene in One Thousand Ocean’s Signature Penthouse 601, a residence that is currently available for purchase. “Just days later, they shot another scene adjacent to the One Thousand Ocean’s Sales Center, as well as multiple key shoots in the nearby Resort’s Cloister lobby and at the landmark pink tower.
Following the screening, guests enjoyed a private dessert reception in the Screen Writers Room at Bogart’s Bar & Grille. It was there that Telchin recalled when, in the fall of 2011, One Thousand Ocean’s Director of Sales Maria Scarola called him and said, “There are about 20 people who just walked into the Sales Center and are claiming they want to film a movie starring JLo and Jason Statham at One Thousand Ocean.” Continuing, Telchin said, “Initially I thought ‘Yeah, sure,’ but after learning more about the plot and what they were going to shoot, we gave them permission. We put our faith in Director Taylor Hackford who had singled out One Thousand Ocean for a key scene, and he certainly did not disappoint us. Our staff and residents loved seeing our iconic building on the screen.”
Telchin noted that the film crew literally took over the building for a full day of shooting. “This required a lot of coordination and we went to great lengths to make everything run as smoothly as possible. Now that I’ve seen the fruits of this labor and the incredible exposure we received on screen, it was well worth the effort and speaks volume about the status and prestige of One Thousand Ocean,” he said. “The filmmaker made the choice to shoot here after scouting several other locations. We are thrilled they chose our building and feel they did so because it is a truly unique South Florida property.”
Mayor Susan Whelchel, a guest at the screening, said “Never a day or week passes that someone doesn’t contact the City of Boca Raton wanting to film a scene for a movie here. Usually it means seeing Boca Raton on the screen for about seven seconds. But not this film! With ‘Parker,’ you really get your money’s worth. It allows people to see the beauty of our county, including Boca Raton.” Before concluding, the Mayor added, “The local economy also booms and blossoms when filmmakers come to the area [creating jobs, booking hotel rooms, patronizing restaurants, etc.].”
Among other guests at the screening were Troy McLennan, Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce president; Jerry Fedele, CEO of Boca Raton Regional Hospital, and his wife Terry; Barbara and Dick Schmidt, one of the community’s most philanthropic couples; Randi Emerman, president of the Palm Beach International Film Festival; numerous One Thousand Ocean residents; One Thousand Ocean sales and marketing team members; and Boca Raton Resort & Club representatives.
Currently only six residences remain at One Thousand Ocean, including Signature Penthouse 601 and two other finished, move-in-ready residences, as well as three unfinished, completely customizable top-floor penthouses. Prices are from approximately $3 to $15 million. For further information, visit www.onethousandocean.com or call (561) 869-5000 to arrange a private showing, including Signature Penthouse 601 where a key scene in “Parker” was filmed.