MACON, Ga. — It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Superman!
And in downtown Macon, there will be lights, cameras and lots of action as the new Superman movie prepares for filming.
The new Warner Brothers movie flew in and is set to film at Terminal Station in downtown Macon.
Casting directors are searching for extras and taking over the Terminal Station to prepare for scene work.
Director James Gunn told the Associated Press that the movie is about Superman's journey to make sense of his heroic heritage and his small-town upbringing as Clark Kent.
But this looks like a job not just for Superman.
Nearby businesses have a front-row seat to the construction, and they say its economic impact will drive tourism up up and away.
Overlooking all the construction is the Tubman Museum, and curator Jeffrey Bruce says he can see all of the developments from his second-floor office.
"People get especially excited about movies and films being made here," Bruce said. "It draws a lot of attention. It draws a lot of activity. It draws a lot of people and that's good for us. Like I said, it's good for downtown, it's good for the museum. We love to have people walking around downtown coming to see what we're about."
Bruce says he is deeply invested in the city and loves to see new faces come to Macon.
"When I first came here 20-some-odd years ago, downtown was not like this," Bruce said. "Downtown Macon was very different, so it's really great to see how much it has grown and evolved and how many people have started to move back into town and it seems to be taking on a new life of its own."
Will Schuman is a bartender at Cashmans Pub, which is right down the road from Terminal Station. He said the film has already become a big talker amongst his customers.
"They're doing a lot of stuff here in downtown Macon, kind of making it more presentable and lively," Schuman said. "It brings people here, people from out of town that'll come and actually experience Macon as what it is."
Macon's Historic Terminal Station will be used as a filming location.
Schuman says he hopes it will bring in lots of foot traffic to the local businesses.
"People are coming in, and they're asking us what's going on," Schuman said. "Luckily, we have the opportunity to let them know everything that's going on. They think it's awesome. I mean coming to work this morning I had some people standing out front taking pictures. I took a picture myself so it's been great."
The filmmakers' contract with Macon-Bibb County says they will likely be working around the Cherry and Poplar Streets area. According to the Reg Murphy Center for Collaborative Journalism, they'll be here for a few weeks even though filming is only expected to last a few days.
The movie's release date is scheduled for July 11, 2025.