The lights of Hollywood came to Butler on Friday as movie crews shot potential footage for an upcoming film starring Will Smith.

Crews were at Butler Memorial Hospital throughout the day collecting shots for the untitled film, which is about concussions and brain damage suffered by football players. The film, tentatively being called “Concussion,” is primarily being shot in Pittsburgh.

Smith will play Dr. Bennet Omalu, a former Allegheny County forensic pathologist who was the first to connect football players and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative disease found in people with a history of multiple concussions and head injuries.

The disease only can be diagnosed after death.

The movie is based on a 2009 GQ article titled “Game Brain” by Jeanne Marie Laskas. There is no expected release date set for the film.

Smith will be joined by Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Alec Baldwin in the film.

Crews shot scenes of a pathology laboratory in the first floor of the hospital.

Dr. Robert Patterson, chairman of the Department of Pathology at the hospital, said his lab was toured by the technical film crew a week ago and deemed a good location to shoot.

“They became aware of us after having issues filming in Pittsburgh,” Patterson said.

One actor was at the hospital on Friday, but Patterson declined to say who it was, fearing any potential spoilers to the film.

However, it was not Smith.

“They’re mostly filming lab sequences,” Patterson said.

The about 30-member crew arrived before 10 a.m. and were on site for a number of hours.

Patterson said the hospital’s employees who work in the lab showed up early for work to make room for the filming.

“They were all nice enough to come in early,” he said, adding the film crew did not disrupt any other work at the hospital.

The pathology lab is used for biopsies for doctors to examine, he said.

Patterson said his lab has made many advancements in recent years, and officials were happy the hospital had a chance to put the lab on display.

“They said they’re going for realism, and this is a real, working lab,” he said.

Patterson said he is pleased to see the film exploring the issues with concussions in sports.

“I’m glad they are doing it,” he said. “I think that subject is an important one, and it needs to be talked about.”

Crews were to finish filming Friday, but Patterson said they may return to the hospital if needed.

He said the short filming experience was positive.

“They’ve been very cordial, very good to work with,” he said.

Patterson said he isn’t sure how much of the lab will be featured in the finished film.

“I’m not sure they even know yet,” he said. “But they really wanted the sequence.”

Ken DeFurio, president and CEO of Butler Health System, said it was an exciting opportunity for the hospital.

“It’s not something we do every day,” he said. “It’s been a fun day for the employees who work down there.”