Psychological Sci-Fi Thriller 'Eternal Properties' Sets 12-Day California Shoot for June 2026

4 min read
Psychological Sci-Fi Thriller 'Eternal Properties' Sets 12-Day California Shoot for June 2026
A lean, high-concept psychological thriller is gearing up for a compact coastal California shoot this coming summer, and with casting actively underway and a June 8, 2026 production start confirmed, the hiring window for this one is open right now. 'Eternal Properties' is a sci-fi drama with a sharp, unsettling premise: a private nurse named Sabrina becomes the first female subject in a reclusive tech entrepreneur's secretive longevity experiment, only to find that the pursuit of immortality carries consequences far more dangerous than death itself. The production is scheduled for just 12 days of principal photography, splitting its time between Carmel and San Luis Obispo along California's Central Coast, with a wrap date of June 23, 2026.

The project is written and directed by Maceo Greenberg, who also serves as producer alongside co-writer Laura Picklesimer. The dual writing-directing-producing structure signals an intimate, founder-led creative environment where the vision is tightly controlled and the team is small by design. The story centers on two primary characters: Sabrina Lee, the private nurse drawn into an ethically murky experiment, and Julian Milton, described as an intense, charismatic, and quietly destabilizing tech founder who retreats to an isolated coastal compound with only an AI assistant named Charlie for company. The psychological complexity baked into the character work suggests a production that will lean heavily on performance and atmosphere rather than spectacle, which has real implications for the kind of crew this project will reward.

Casting is being handled by Ricki G. Maslar, with Betsy Hume serving as casting associate. For talent agents and actors tracking this one, the dual lead structure and the psychological thriller genre suggest meaty, dialogue-driven roles that could attract strong character actors looking for something substantive. The logline's emphasis on obsession, control, and a creeping sense of danger puts this squarely in the tradition of intimate psychological thrillers where the tension lives in the space between two people rather than in set pieces or action sequences.

On the production company side, Greenberg and Picklesimer appear to be producing independently, which is consistent with the project's compact scale and focused creative vision. Independent features of this type and genre, particularly those with strong high-concept premises and a defined two-hander structure, have found real traction with streamers and genre-focused distributors in recent years, especially those platforms hungry for contained thrillers that punch above their budget weight. The 12-day schedule reinforces this as a disciplined, efficiency-minded production rather than a sprawling studio affair.

The filming locations are worth paying close attention to. Carmel-by-the-Sea and San Luis Obispo are both along California's Central Coast, and the choice is clearly motivated by the script's requirement for an isolated coastal compound setting with a specific visual character: moody, remote, architecturally distinctive, and naturally cinematic. These are not typical high-volume production hubs, which means the locations department will need to be particularly resourceful, and local or regionally based crew with familiarity along the Highway 1 corridor and the SLO County area will have a genuine advantage. California does not currently offer the aggressive tax incentive programs of Georgia, New Mexico, or New York, but the state's Film & Television Tax Credit Program remains available for qualifying features, and the scenic specificity these locations provide likely justifies the decision to shoot in-state. Crew who have worked in the Monterey Peninsula or San Luis Obispo regions and know the local vendor, permit, and support infrastructure will be particularly valuable to this production.

Given the 12-day shooting schedule and two-primary-location structure, this production will run lean across most departments. That said, the psychological thriller and sci-fi elements, particularly the isolated compound setting, the AI assistant character, and the clinical longevity experiment environment, suggest meaningful work for the production designer and art department in creating a world that feels both sleek and sinister. Cinematography will be central to establishing the film's tone, and a DP with a background in atmospheric, character-driven work should be a natural fit. Given the independent structure and California-based shoot, this production may operate under a SAG-AFTRA Low Budget Agreement, though union status has not been confirmed in the available data.

With a start date roughly six months out and casting actively in progress, 'Eternal Properties' is at exactly the stage where the right crew members can get in early. Department heads are almost certainly being approached now, and below-the-line coordinators and key department crew should expect staffing conversations to begin in earnest over the coming months. For the full production listing including contact information, production office details, and the latest crew and scheduling updates, head to ProductionList.com and pull the complete record. If a compact, creatively ambitious California shoot in mid-2026 fits your calendar, this is one worth pursuing sooner rather than later.

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