Helicopter Landing Scene Being Filmed Monday Morning For Clifford The Big Red Dog At Roosevelt Island Cornell Tech Campus - Movie Company Giving Free Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream At Good Shepherd Plaza In Afternoon To Thank Community

Roosevelt Island will the the site for a film shoot tomorrow that will include a low flying helicopter over the southern tip of Roosevelt Island landing on the Cornell Tech Campus.  According to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC):

Please be advised that a helicopter scene for an upcoming movie will be shot on Roosevelt Island’s Cornell Tech campus on Monday, July 8th between the hours of 6:00AM and 10:00AM. The north loop bus service will be closed during these times.

Since filming will take place solely on Cornell Tech property, RIOC has no jurisdiction to grant or deny the filming request. However, RIOC staff and PSD have insisted that the helicopter must approach the island from the southeast and only over water before it lands on the Cornell Tech campus. The helicopter will not fly anywhere near our residential buildings and no island operations – save for the temporary closure of the north loop – will be impacted during filming. PSD is working closely with the NYPD Aviation Unit and the FDNY, both of whom will be on the Island to make sure filming is conducted in a safe manner and with minimal inconvenience to Roosevelt Island residents.

In gratitude for the community's cooperation, the movie's producers will provide a Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Truck with free ice cream at the Good Shepherd Plaza from 3PM-5PM.

If you have any questions, please contact PSD at 212-832-4545.

The film being shot is Clifford The Big Red Dog. A spokesperson for the movie production added:

Paramount Pictures’ and Entertainment One’s CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG will be filming on the Cornell Tech campus on Roosevelt Island. Paramount has sought all of the requisite approvals and has taken safety precautions to land a helicopter as part of the filming during a small portion of a single day (July 8th). The studio has been working closely with the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) and the aviation unit of the New York Police Department (NYPD) who will both be on site for the landing. The studio is also coordinating with the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) and the Public Safety Department (PSD). The helicopter will fly in and out from the south and it will, at no point, be flying over the residential areas of the Island.

​Walt Becker is directing Clifford the Big Red Dog, which stars Darby Camp and Jack Whitehall. This big, classic family film follows Emily Elizabeth who befriends Clifford as she’s trying to fit in at home and at school. He grows to a giant size and attracts the attention of a genetics company. Emily and her Uncle Casey have to fight the forces of greed as they go on the run across New York.

Here's the story of how Clifford The Big Red Dog got made.



Noise and potential safety issues from low flying helicopters and seaplanes has been a long standing complaint among some Roosevelt Island residents. During the recent June 13 Roosevelt Island Town Hall meeting with elected officials, a resident asked a staffer from Congresswoman Maloney's office what could be done to alleviate this problem. The staffer said that Congresswoman Maloney supports banning non-essential low flying helicopters over NYC. Here's the discussion.



Ms Maloney asked Mayor deBlasio to ban all non-esssential helicopter flights over NYC.

.@NYCMayor has the power to stop all non-essential helicopters using NYC owned heliports. That’s why I led a letter with @NydiaVelazquez and @RepMaloney urging NYC to end these flights today. Read more here: https://t.co/zIncpSBoQX pic.twitter.com/T8w8UVUgpO

— (((Rep. Nadler))) (@RepJerryNadler) July 1, 2019

Here's the letter.

Enjoy the ice cream from the Clifford movie production company.

UPDATE - Long line at Good Shepherd Plaza this afternoon

for the free Ben & Jerry's Ice cream courtesy of Clifford  The Big Red Dog production company.