Filming is under way in the Hudson Valley for a new HBO series starring Mark Ruffalo.

Today marks the first day of production for “I Know This Much is True,” according to Hudson Valley Film Commission Director Laurent Rejto. Filming for the six-part miniseries is taking place across Dutchess, including Poughkeepsie; and in Ulster and Orange counties.

Film crews were active in Wappingers Falls at the 9 Mall plaza. However, it was not clear if the production was the HBO series or one of several other projects ongoing in the region. A fake storefront for a Blockbuster Video was among the changes to the plaza created by the production.

Filming for the HBO series is expected to be complete by September, with a 2020 release. “I Know This Much is True” also stars Ulster County resident and Oscar-winning actress Melissa Leo, Kathryn Hahn, Rosie O’Donnell and Juliette Lewis.

Hudson Valley film production in 2018 generated $28.9 million in direct spending. And, several high-profile projects are in the works.

Scheduled to open in theaters June 14 is “The Dead Don’t Die,” a zombie comedy directed by Ulster’s Jim Jarmusch that was filmed in Ulster and Delaware counties and stars Selena Gomez, Bill Murray and Adam Driver.

Rejto said production for seven films is ongoing in the region. A Charlie Kaufman film titled "I'm Thinking of Ending Things" filmed scenes last month at Fishkill's Red Line Diner and is predominantly being shot in Middletown. A writer, Kaufman is known for “Adaptation” and “Being John Malkovich.”

A movie starring Omar Epps, known for "Love & Basketball," "Juice," and television's “House,” is also being filmed in Warwick and Newburgh.

Rejto said HBO has inquired about filming a second project in the region.

And, he said, the film commission has received an inquiry from the USA Network's "Mr. Robot." That program stars actor Rami Malek, who earlier this year won an Academy Award for "Bohemian Rhapsody."

Rejto said hosting high-profile films often leads to inquiries from other production teams.

"It’s a tiny, tiny industry," he said of the movie business. "It’s a small industry where everyone speaks to everyone else. When a film comes here and has a good experience, everyone hears about it. Other people call."

“I Know This Much is True” is an adaptation of the 1998 Wally Lamb novel of the same name that has been described by HBO as a family saga following the parallel lives of identical twin brothers portrayed by Ruffalo.

More than 3,000 local residents in late Feburary lined up at the Majed J. Nesheiwat Convention Center in Poughkeepsie, formerly the Mid-Hudson Civic Center, to audition for speaking and background roles for the series.

John W. Barry: jobarry@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4822, Twitter: @JohnBarryPoJo