Update 5/28/21 – A Devon Self Storage facility in Chicago has been chosen by Bonansinga and his crew to film the ‘Self Storage’ horror movie trailer. The shoot will be held in mid-June. The active, Canal Street property has been featured in other video projects. It offers a versatile mix of settings in which to shoot including climate-controlled and drive-up units, loading docks, wine storage, cold storage, and office and retail space, according to Raheem Amer, senior vice president of operations for Devon. Delirium selected the site after Bonansinga and a cinematographer toured the facility.
Devon was interested in participating in the movie trailer as a way to promote the industry. “We are always looking to get involved in interesting ideas that promote self-storage,” Amer said.
The operator is no stranger to having its facilities used by entertainment companies. One facility’s parking lot was used for a police-chase scene, and an Arizona location was featured in the “Breaking Bad” television series, according to Amer.
Headquartered in Emeryville, Calif., Devon operates 38 facilities across 22 states. Its portfolio comprises more than 2.7 million net rentable square feet.
5/5/21 – “Walking Dead” author Jay Bonansinga used self-storage as the setting for his horror-thriller novel “Self Storage.” Now, production company Delirium Tremens Entertainment is seeking an actual storage facility in the Chicago area at which to shoot a trailer in mid to late May for the film adaptation of the book.
“We’re looking to shoot for one day inside (and outside) a self-storage facility in the Chicago metro area,” company officials said. “The facility doesn’t even have to be operational. It can be closed for whatever reason—renovation, change in ownership, pre-demolition, whatever—but it also can be open for business; and we are happy to shoot at night or during off-hours.”
The key feature the company is looking for is a “very long hallway” with storage units on both sides, a very common element in climate-controlled facilities. Delirium Tremens would also like the ability to use its own lighting equipment, so an A/C outlet in or near the hallway is desirable.
The filmmakers would also like to photograph an exterior storage-unit door with a deadbolt or padlock, along with corresponding keys. Though the actors will be photographed unlocking the door and going inside, the door itself can be anywhere on the premises, officials said.
In addition, the company is looking for aerial drone footage of an older, rural, rundown self-storage facility. The property can be a different location than the one used for the hallway scene and photo shoot. If drone footage doesn’t exist, Delirium can shoot its own, officials said.
Self-storage owners in the Chicago area who would like to participate should reach out directly to Jeff Siegel at [email protected].
Written in 2016, “Self Storage” centers on Johnny Fitzgerald, a lonely, divorced graphic illustrator with a major heroin habit. When Johnny accidentally gets trapped inside a deserted self-storage facility with his 6-year-old son, he’s forced to face demons both real and imagined. While trapped inside the unit, father and son battle thirst, hunger, the effects of heroin withdrawal, and something dark and terrifying touched off by the self-storage facility itself.
The book, which Bonansinga has called his “most personal” work, is available for purchase through the Inside Self-Storage Store. Best known for writing “The Walking Dead” novels based on the Robert Kirkman comic-book series, Bonansinga is also writing the “Self Storage” movie script.
