Sedgwick to Direct Movie “Space Oddity” in RI
Wednesday, June 23, 2021
A few weeks ago GoLocal reported that one of Hollywood's power couples was spotted dining in Rhode Island. Sophie’s Brewhouse in Exeter shared the photos of Kevin Bacon and his wife Kyra Sedgwick, who stopped in for lunch.
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Now, we know the whole story of why they were in RI.
The Rhode Island Film & TV Office has announced the Sedgwick, who is an Emmy-Award-winning actress will be directing Rebecca Banner’s acclaimed 2016 Black List screenplay Space Oddity in RI.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe independent production stars Kyle Allen (West Side Story), Alexandra Shipp (X-Men franchise), and Madeline Brewer (The Handmaid’s Tale) This is the second feature film for director Sedgwick after Story of a Girl for which she received a Director’s Guild of America nomination. Principal photography commences this week in the historic towns of Wickford and North Kingston, Rhode Island.
Space Oddity tells the tale of Alex (Allen) who, after giving up on Earth and deciding to leave it all behind for a one-way mission to Mars, develops an unexpected romance with Daisy (Shipp), the enigmatic town newcomer, which forces him to choose between an uncertain journey to the stars and an even more uncertain journey of the heart.
This is the first feature Sedgwick and Valerie Stadler will be producing under their banner Big Swing Productions.
Sedgwick said, “As soon as I read Space Oddity, I knew this was a film I had to direct. This family is so beautifully flawed, so perfectly human. The humor and the heart jumped off the page. We started Big Swing to tell just this kind of story – one that centers on hope but never shies away from the struggle that makes us all part of this fragile experiment on Earth. And there is no better place to film this story than in the beautiful state of Rhode Island. Shooting Space Oddity in Rhode Island is a breath of fresh air. Everyone from the Rhode Island Film office to the town of Wickford has welcomed us with open arms. We have a local crew that can’t be beat and the locations are magical. We couldn't be more delighted for the opportunity to make our film here.”
Governor Daniel J. McKee said, “It’s great to see a new movie being made in Rhode Island – especially one that showcases our beautiful state. With our unique landscape and talented local artists, Rhode Island is an ideal location for filmmakers. Every time a production shoots here we see a positive impact on our local businesses. This is the type of energy that keeps moving our economy forward.”Valerie Stadler will produce with Jack Greenbaum and Richard Arlook for The Arlook Group and Mickey Schiff for Unique Features. Executive Producers are Bob Shaye, Ibrahim AlHusseini, JL Pomeroy, Brent Emery, Susan Cartonis, Suzanne Farwell and Anne Clements.
Steven Feinberg, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Film & TV Office, remarked “We are excited to welcome Kyra, Valerie and their talented team of professionals to make Space Oddity. Rhode Island is fortunate because we have superb partners in both the public and private sectors and we enjoy working together to build a positive environment for the creative economy to shine," said Steven Feinberg, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Film & TV Office.
We are particularly grateful to Big Swing Productions for providing good-paying jobs for many local artists and hard-working technicians from across Rhode Island. As collaboration is key to the art of cinema, we look forward to helping Kyra, Valerie and the Space Oddity team produce movie magic here,” added Feinberg.
PHOTO: Angela George at https://www.flickr.com/photos/sharongraphics/
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