Tuscumbia to Make Big Screen Debut in 'Role Model'
By Xavier Wherry Nov 28, 2021 Updated Dec 1, 2021
For the first time, the city of Tuscumbia will be represented on the big screen.
Director David Nemeth was extremely positive when highlighting why he chose Tuscumbia for the location of "Role Model," and Tuscumbia Mayor Kerry Underwood believes the movie could attract more visitors to the city.
"Tuscumbia has always been poised and positioned to be a part of tourism," Underwood said. "And so, our hope is the economic impact for us personally down the road is either the followers of the actors or the enjoyment of the movie will just bring more people to say, 'Hey, let’s check out Tuscumbia.'"
"Role Model" focuses on the story of a young man, played by Chandler Storm, who skips town after he finds out his wife is pregnant, only to be haunted by his estranged father, played by Mark E. Holmes, who tries to help his son see why the decision to run isn't always the right one.
It's something Underwood said the city is made for.
"We’ve got a storied history that teaches lessons to people not just locally but across the world," he said. "This movie has that same sort of impact about how you reconcile between a father and a son through time, but I think it’s a perfect location for this to be said."
"Tuscumbia is really amazing," Nemeth said. "It’s such a very beautiful small town. There’s a lot of a character involved with it."
Nemeth also shared the benefits of shooting a film in a smaller town.
"It was actually significantly easier to film in a smaller town than a larger town," Nemeth said. "Tuscumbia has a lot of the bigger town feels, but it was so easy for us just to go from one location to another without too much trouble."
Nemeth hopes those who attend the premiere can get some introspection from the film, "that they think about their own lives (and) that they think about the way that they are impacting their families and future generations."
The movie is set to premiere in Tuscumbia on Dec. 4. Nemeth believes the GAS Design Studio will provide an experience that everyone will be sure to remember.
For Underwood, this is a celebratory time for the city of Tuscumbia.
"It’s just a time to enjoy and celebrate what they’ve done," he said. "I couldn’t be more excited about seeing that movie."
Nemeth said the plan down the road is to show the movie in Huntsville, possibly Atlanta, as well as have a theatrical release. Lastly, he hopes this film will get picked up by Netflix and Hulu.
Click here to learn more about "Role Model" and other films from Seventh Summit Productions.
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