Tony-, Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated actor Patrick Wilson (who will apear in his breakout role this spring in the highly anticipated movie Watchmen as Nite Owl II) is curenlty starring alongside Livonia native Judy Greer, Christopher McDonald and Malcolm McDowell in the upcoming movie Barry Munday. Barry Munday, which has been shooting in in and around Metro Detroit (Howell, Michigan) is a romantic comedy about a philanderer who is named in a paternity suit. The movie is based on the Frank Turner Holton’s novel, Life Is a Strange Place
Tonight, for the second time in two months, Lifetime will premier an original made-for-TV movie that was shoot in Metro Detroit. America; which stars Rosie O’Donnell and breakout Detroit Cass Tech High School Senior Philip Johnson. Last month Lifetime premiere the made-for-TV movie Prayers For Bobby; which stars Sigourney Weaver, and the network plans to distribute several more movies that will be made in the Metro Detroit area in 2009 and 2010 because of the recent Michigan film incentives.
America tells the story of Dr. Maureen Brennan (Rosie O’Donnell), a psychiatrist at a youth treatment center, encounters her newest patient, a 16-year-old biracial boy named America. Through their sessions, Dr. Brennan helps America come to terms with his roller-coaster life, which began when he was taken by authorities from his crack-addicted mother and placed into foster care as an infant. In this emotional story, Dr. Brennan works to help him open up about his painful past and discover the support and courage he needs to get his life back on track.
For the second time in about a decade, George Cloony will be shooting a movie in Metro Detroit. First it was 1998’s Out Of Sight, now he will be shooting a portion of his upcoming movie Up in the Airwill be filmed at the Berry and McNamara Terminals at Detroit Metro Airport in late February. The movie also stars Anna Kendrick (Twilight) and Vera Farmiga (The Departed) will be directed by Jason Reitman (Juno) and is based on a book by the same name.
Tonight in her “State of The State” address, governer Granholm will announce the development of the $54 million Motown Motion Picture Studio; a new 600,000-square-foot space at General Motors Corp.’s former Centerpoint truck plant. The studio complex will create about 3,600 direct jobs and more than 1,500 indirect job. (read more)
Sam Raimi has also confirmed that he will be bringing the production his next horror film Room 205 to Michigan (which will be the American version fo the Dansih film by the same name.) Raimi states: “we’re hoping to bring a second film to Michigan, and then follow up with more films. As much as I can I’d like to shoot in Michigan.”
The Weinstein Company’s thriller Killshot (starring Micky Rourke) opened in five theaters this past weekend and grossed $10,058, or $2,012 per venue (read more)
S3 Entertainment Group and 23rd Street Studios are vying to have the Michigan’s first studio complex. Both projects have initial budgets of $40 million and both expect to be a go-to place for film-oriented businesses to be located (read full story)