Filming about to begin for Joe Pickett series in Cochrane

Crews are in town and preparing to film scenes for the upcoming series Joe Pickett at the Cochrane RancheHouse.

Filming is expected to happen over the next two to three weeks.

A total of 10 hour-long episodes of the series have been ordered by Spectrum Originals. It's based upon C. J. Box's bestselling novels about Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett and features actor Michael Dorman in the title role. The series also stars Julianna Guill and Skywalker Hughes in all 10 episodes.

Joe Pickett follows a game warden and his family as they navigate the changing political and socio-economic climate in a small rural town in Wyoming. Surrounded by a rich history and vast wildlife, the township hides decades of schemes and secrets that are yet to be uncovered. The series will air for a nine-month exclusive run on Spectrum.

The bestselling novels will provide plenty of material for the series. Box has published 21 novels about the game warden and pre-orders are being accepted for the next novel, Shadow Reels, scheduled for release in 2022. The first book, Open Season, was published in 2001. It's the second TV adaptation of Box's work. The ABC series "Big Sky" focuses on his Cassie Dewell novels.

The Town of Cochrane has been in discussion with the production company for some time in hopes of scenes being shot here.

"We've been promoting Cochrane as a destination for film for a little while now, and we're starting to gain some momentum," says Mike Korman, the town's economic development manager. "Having Joe Pickett come in and do at least some scenes at the RancheHouse is really exciting for future opportunities, and we're going to continue to promote Cochrane as such."

He says the spend per day is high by production companies. They provide an economic spin for local tradespeople, retailers, and the service industry in general.

This is just one of the major films in production in the Calgary area. Others include The Last of Us, Billy The Kid, Fraggle Rock, Under the Banner of Heaven, and Skulls (Predator 5).