Why a fake encampment suddenly appeared in S.F.'s Financial District
Rows of tents, shopping carts and scattered belongings transformed a downtown San Francisco block into what looked, from a distance, like a sprawling homeless encampment.
It was a movie set.
The staged encampment, which lined Battery Street near California Street in the city's Financial District, was part of an untitled Netflix suspense thriller directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the production's publicists confirmed Friday, July 10.
The project has circulated publicly under the title "2034," but publicists Nicola Graydon Harris and Robert D. Harris said that is only a working title. They declined to provide additional details about the film, citing the early stage of production.
Production security remained on duty late Thursday, July 9, when a Chronicle photographer arrived at the site. No filming was taking place at the time, but the tents and props remained spread along the street.
The scene caught commuters and downtown residents by surprise. Several people posted photographs and videos online after initially believing the encampment was real.
One Reddit user said people walking past appeared "horrified" before learning that the tents were part of a production. Other commenters picked apart the set's conspicuously clean tents, new-looking luggage and other details they considered less than authentic.
Gordon-Levitt was spotted working with camera crews at several San Francisco locations this week, including near City Hall and along Polk Street. The San Francisco portion of the Netflix shoot lasted three days, with Friday marking its final day in the city, according to the publicists.
The film stars Rachel McAdams and has also been reported to feature Jeff Daniels, Joel Edgerton, Caleb McLaughlin, Nnamdi Asomugha, Alfre Woodard and Toni Collette.
Images posted online Thursday showed Gordon-Levitt working with a crew near Polk Street, where Asomugha, the former Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers cornerback who has built a second career as an actor and producer, also appeared to be present. Other photographs showed a large camera rig outside the California state office building near City Hall. Reddit users also reported seeing McAdams in the area.
The staged encampment drew attention because of San Francisco's long-running homelessness crisis and the city's efforts to revive its downtown and change national perceptions of the area.
San Francisco requires permits for commercial filming on city streets and sidewalks. Productions may also need parking, traffic-control and other approvals depending on the scope of a shoot, according to the San Francisco Film Commission.
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Coma Te, a spokesperson for the San Francisco Arts Commission, which merged with the Film Commission this month, said the city welcomes film productions because they create jobs and support local crews, vendors and businesses. Te also pointed to the recently updated Scene in San Francisco Incentive Program, which offers qualifying productions cash rebates of up to $1 million.
"We're excited to welcome productions filming in San Francisco, as they generate economic impact activity, create jobs, and support local cast, crew, vendors, and businesses," Te said.
The publicists said more information about Gordon-Levitt's film may become available after production.
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This story was originally published July 10, 2026 at 10:50 AM.