Netflix Interested in Filming ‘Hostage Thriller’ Series in Lavallette

Adam Driver, star of Netflix’s ‘Rabbit Rabbit’ (Photo: Colleen Sturtevant) and the Lavallette beachfront (Photo: Shorebeat).

Lavallette officials this week said Netflix has expressed interest in filming scenes for an upcoming “hostage thriller” series in the borough, however they balked at the idea of allowing the company to bring in dozens of workers and shutting down streets in the middle of the summer season.

Netflix, which now has a studio located in the former Ft. Monmouth property in Tinton Falls, is producing a number of series and other programs in New Jersey, and has reached out to numerous municipalities across the state to gauge their interest in allowing on-location filming. Lavallette’s oceanfront at Philadelphia Avenue was being eyed for scenes in the upcoming series “Rabbit Rabbit,” which is described as a “hostage thriller series” whose plot follows an escaped convict who takes hostages at a truck stop, turning the standoff into a psychological game with a negotiator. Filming for the production began earlier in 2026 and the series is scheduled to premier on the streaming platform some time in 2027.

Lavallette officials did not totally eschew the idea of working with Netflix or allowing productions to be filmed in town, however they drew a line in the sand when it came to disrupting streets and beaches during the busy summer season. They also said the borough’s film permitting ordinance was designed to accommodate small productions rather than major undertakings such as those Netflix might desire.

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“They wanted to do it smack in the middle of the summer on Philadelphia Avenue,” said Councilwoman Joanne Filippone. “It just wouldn’t be workable for us.”

The Lavallette boardwalk, Sept. 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)

Filippone and other council members agreed Monday that the borough may be able to accommodate requests before June 15 or after Sept. 15, however the specifications put forth by Netflix were too much during the height of the summer. Filippone said the company proposed bringing in about 75 workers, reserving a chunk of the beach near Philadelphia Avenue, bringing production trucks onto the beach and being able to park other trucks within ‘no parking’ zones.

“They wanted to park in the no parking zone in the front, which is our emergency entrance to the beach,” said Filippone, “so that was a no-go for us.”

Filippone said before entering into any agreements with large companies in charge of large productions, the borough’s film permitting ordinance should be reviewed by the borough attorney. It was passed contemplating small productions or single-day filming for television segments, she said, rather than large-scale productions that would require streets to be closed, police officers on scene for security and services provided by Public Works. The current permit fee of $275 would be insufficient for the borough to covers its costs under such a scenario.

Lavallette Boardwalk (Photo: Daniel Nee)

“We would have to account for cleanup, police protection, emergency services,” she said. “The taxpayer shouldn’t have to fund anything if they want to come in and use our beach or facilities.”

While the proposal to film “Rabbit Rabbit” during the summer did not pass muster with the council, several members said they would keep an open mind on future proposals, or even a modified proposal for Rabbit Rabbit if they would prove to be free of interruptions for residents (and traffic), cover costs and bring an economic benefit to the town.

“If they want to come back with a different proposal, we’d take a look at it, and I think we would pass it,” Filippone said.