Mattoon has had a recent string of development most Central Illinois towns could only hope for, from Rural King and Emerald Acres, to large chains and small businesses, Mattoon is seemingly thriving. Again today, more big news finds Mattoon at the center of it. And by big, we mean the big screen! That’s right… a movie all about Mattoon, its history, its scary stories, and more, is in the works and will be filmed right here, how cool is that?
During an announcement today hosted by Craig Titley, a screenwriter from Mattoon, it was told to the crowd on hand that a “Hollywood movie set” will be coming to city limits. Titley has put his talents to work on several different projects including: Scooby-Doo, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Cheaper By The Dozen, and Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief. He will not be alone in this hometown endeavour, familiar names like Luke Ryan, Joe Webb, and Damien LeVeck, will also be a part of the project and film’s production. These four couldn’t be more excited about coming back to the place they called “home,” helping put Mattoon in the limelight and on the silver screen.
What about the movie itself? Think ‘Stranger Things’ meets ‘Friday Night Lights’ with just a touch of the movie ‘It’ mixed in there too. Because this production is just being announced, limited information was given as to exactly what this movie will be all about but here’s what was shared: a group of teenagers might find themselves in a tricky situation when a variety of scary things start happening and they need the help of someone older who’s already been through this same or similar situation. They plan to tie historical elements like the story of the “Mad Gasser” or the “Big Dig” into this fictional tale. Just a handful of filming locations were discussed, those being the Mattoon Train Depot and Mattoon High School, Villa Pizza was also mentioned. Again, this is subject to change but gives us a taste of what these four are hoping to accomplish.
The making of a movie can be a tedious process. It’s not just shooting the film and putting it out to the public. As of today, the hope is that filming can begin as soon as next year… specifically August of 2027. However, several things will need to fall in place for that timeline to come true. If next year in August is not enough time for funding to be generated and pre-production to get its start, August 2028 will be the likely start date.
During the Q&A following the announcement, it became clear that Titley, Ryan, Webb, and LeVeck, want us in the community to be involved in the making of the movie. Have you ever thought of testing your acting chops? Maybe seeing what it’s like behind the scenes? An opportunity of a lifetime will be coming to Mattoon. While you won’t get the lead role in this movie, you could make a cameo or find yourself as an extra at a high school football game. If you ever had interest in getting your foot in the door on a film set, that opportunity will likely never be closer to home! It gets even better. For those local music artists out there, you could have your song featured in the movie potentially. They want the story to be told by those that are in Mattoon, and it looks like they plan to deliver on that promise.
When asked about the potential of “premiering” this movie in Mattoon, all four lit up… probably because they had already thought about just this. It was said that they plan to build a Mattoon movie premiere into the contracts of the stars that will be featured in it. Things just keep getting better don’t they?
In talking to Joe Webb, also a Hollywood Writer and Producer, he is most excited about being back in the community for the month or two that the movie will take to be filmed. Not just Webb, but all four of them, are genuine in their love for Mattoon and it seems to be a passion project this quartet is extremely proud of. Some additional notes: a number of “200” actors, film crew, production team, set designers, hair and makeup, and more, will help bring the project to life. Those folks will be staying at our hotels, eating at our restaurants, and will be visible throughout the community. Putting Mattoon on the map should come with some revenue too!
If you are interested in getting more information on what’s to come, we recommend going to EIU’s 2nd Annual ‘Comic Fest’ tomorrow. This will be held on Eastern Illinois’ campus, close to Booth Library. A panel will take place during the event and it sounds as if questions can be asked directly on this movie during that time. Also, any other questions you might have.
We are sure more news on this will start to come out as the filming process gets closer to time and we will continue to track any updates as those come about. A special thanks goes out to Melissa Harden at Studio 21 for opening her space to the announcement, and to Riley and Bryce Eubanks with Cosmic Games in Mattoon, for their help in putting it on!
