LEOMINSTER — The Max original film The Parenting debuts Thursday, bringing a Hollywood production to Leominster’s Doyle Community Park, which serves as the setting for its haunted house storyline.
Billed as a “hilariously terrifying comedy,” The Parenting follows Rohan and Josh (Nik Dodani and Brandon Flynn), a couple introducing their parents to each other during a weekend getaway. They rent a historic estate called McKinley Fields, but their plans are disrupted when they discover the house is haunted by a 400-year-old poltergeist.
Doyle Community Park and Center estate garden, located at 245 Lindell Avenue, serves as the backdrop for McKinley Fields, providing the film with its sprawling grounds and grand architecture.
Brian Cox and Edie Falco play Rohan’s parents, Frank and Sharon, while Dean Norris and Lisa Kudrow portray Josh’s parents, Cliff and Liddy. The film’s mix of horror and comedy has been compared to Evil Dead meets Meet the Parents or Succession meets The Exorcist.
Filming took place in Leominster from late March to mid-April 2022, with the cast and crew spending three weeks at Doyle Community Park for exterior shots. Director Craig Johnson confirmed that all outdoor scenes set at McKinley Fields were filmed there.
Additional scenes were shot in Worcester, including an exterior shot at the Vendome apartment building on Chandler Street, which serves as the home of Rohan’s best friend, Sara (played by Vivian Bang). A wedding reception scene filmed at Union Station was cut from the final version.
The cast also includes Parker Posey as Brenda, an eccentric local, along with four dogs.
