Major movie to film in downtown SF for three weeks in February

Pictured: A dish of ice cream scoops. Pictured: A dish of ice cream scoops. Photo: Melissa Phillip, Staff Photographer Photo: Melissa Phillip, Staff Photographer Image 1 of / 43 Caption Close Major movie to film in downtown SF for three weeks in February 1 / 43 Back to Gallery

A major movie with the working title "Project Ice Cream" is scheduled to begin filming around San Francisco's Financial District on Feb. 9, say notices distributed to businesses in the area this week.

The production will be filming rather involved action scenes mostly on weekends and weekdays from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., and will include the use of low-flying helicopters, pyrotechnics, drone cameras, crash stunts and simulated gunfire. One particularly intense scene will take place over two days in late February on Sansome Street. Additional filming is due to take place in SoMa and Chinatown.

The notice did not elaborate on any specifics of the film or disclose what it was, but the title "Project Ice Cream" has been widely tied to the fourth "Matrix" project. That film is due to star original cast members Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Ann Moss as Neo and Trinity, respectively.

RELATED: Is 'Matrix 4' going to film in San Francisco?

Filming is slated to take place around the downtown area periodically beginning Sunday, Feb. 9 through Sunday, March 31. The production is also currently seeking extras ages 18 and up who are available for large blocks of time on set. (Interested parties should view the "Project Ice Cream" listings on MyCastingFile.com.)

The notices to local businesses arrived not long after Reeves himself was spotted by fans in Alameda enjoying, notably, an ice cream cone outside a Baskin-Robbins on Blanding Avenue. It's not clear if Reeves was in town for anything related to the Lana Wachowski-directed production, though an Alameda city official told SFGATE earlier this month that Warner Bros. — which is producing "The Matrix 4" — had obtained "the right permits to do filming" of an undisclosed project in Alameda as well.

Warner Bros. announced the fourth Matrix installment in August 2019, but has yet to reveal any plot points for the film. Other characters, however, have been confirmed to appear, including Neil Patrick Harris ("How I Met Your Mother"), Yahya Abdul-Mateen II ("Watchmen") and Jessica Henwick ("Iron Fist"). (Michael B. Jordan has been rumored to have joined the cast but his involvement is unconfirmed.)

Alyssa Pereira is an SFGate digital editor. Email: alyssa.pereira@sfgate.com | Twitter: @alyspereira

