St. Joseph, MO – The comedy feature, 25 Miles To Normal, began filming June 22, 2024 in St. Joseph, MO.
Multiple homes, businesses, and properties in both St. Joseph and Kansas City are now the workplace for a cast and crew of over forty people for the next three to four weeks. Director of Communications & Marketing for the St. Joseph Convention & Visitors Bureau, Christian Mengel, said the film crew has been exploring and considering St. Joseph since late April.
“They originally planned on shooting most of it, if not all of it, in Kansas City,” Mengel said. “They reached out for help to find one location that matched their script. One location quickly turned into ten or more when they visited in person. I witnessed dozens of locals being incredibly friendly and inviting to these guys, without even knowing they were location scouting for a movie. Not only did we have places to match their script, but the people and vibe around town made them want to work here.”
Director of 25 Miles To Normal, Josh Brandon, was drawn to the people as much as he was the physical locations.
“I am so excited about shooting in St. Joseph and Kansas City,” Brandon said. “Everyone has been so welcoming. It is the perfect place to make movies. We hope this is just the first of many.”
Brandon, an acclaimed filmmaker from Sydney, Australia, is known for his work on the Showtime film A Thousand Little Cuts featuring Marina Sirtis (Star Trek: The Next Generation) and Colin Ferguson (Eureka). Brandon has also directed episodes for the TV shows Haven, Houdini and Doyle, and is the co-author of William Shatner’s latest book, Boldly Go.
The show Haven, according to The Hollywood Reporter, was the first time Brandon worked with Lucas Bryant (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), who is set to star in 25 Miles to Normal alongside Bruce Davidson (X-Men, Willard), Rachel Nichols (GI Joe, Continuum), Dee Wallace (E.T., The Hills Have Eyes), Ed Begley Jr. (St. Elsewhere, Young Sheldon), Michelle Hurd (Law & Order: SVU, Star Trek: Picard), and Garrett Wang (Star Trek: Voyager, Acts of Violence).
Two of the producers of 25 Miles to Normal are B.L. Fleischer, with RcR Cinema, and Peter Foldy, with Filmstreet Productions.
This is the first film project in St. Joseph to utilize Missouri’s Motion Media Tax Credit Program, which was enacted in 2023 through the Show MO Act.
More information about this project can be found on the film’s official website at www.25milestonormal.com. If you are interested in participating in the film as an extra, please contact the Unit Production Manager, Virginia Bryant, at 25milesmovie@gmail.com.
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