Students at the University of British Columbia are doing double takes on shortcuts to classes. Tucked behind the CHEM building is a Goods Reception Area to London’s British Museum. In the third installment of Night at the Museum’s billion-dollar franchise, exhibits come to life in this most august of British institutions. Sir Lancelot (Downton Abbey’s Dan Stevens) and an Egyptian pharaoh (Sir Ben Kingsley) are two who will be revived by a magic tablet to the consternation of a London night guard (Rebel Wilson). Somehow most of the old gang –Larry Daley (Ben Stiller), his boss Dr. McPhee (Ricky Gervais), Jedediah (Owen Wilson), Teddy Roosevelt (Robin Williams) and a recast Nicky Daley (Skyler Gisondo) – end up in London too.
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb kicked off its four or five month shoot with several days of filming in London at the real British Museum followed by a couple of days in and around the American Museum of Natural History (a gala) and Central Park in New York City with Larry Daley (Stiller) and son (Gisondo) spotted in the park.
Related: Night at the British Museum Films in the real British Museum in London.
Meanwhile, Vancouver crew has been busy building a replica of the British Museum on a Burnaby soundstage. Filming should start there this month, but first there [are on-location day shoots on Monday and Tuesday and three night shoots from Wednesday to Friday at this UBC set.]
