If you’re in the downtown Little Rock area over the next two weeks, you may notice some bright lights and a camera crew.
Or you might see a familiar face or two that you recognize from the big screen.
Cast and crew are hard at work producing "The Chariot," a sci-fi comedy thriller, produced by SkipStone Pictures, an Arkansas-based production company, and will be filming in town for about two more weeks.
The movie, according to Johnny Remo, founder of the company, is a reincarnation film which begins in the late 1800s and transitions to current day. The film stars Shane West ("A Walk to Remember"), John Malkovich ("Being John Malkovich," "Bird Box"), Thomas Mann ("Hansel & Gretel: The Witch Hunters"), former NFL player Vernon Davis and Rosa Salazar ("Maze Runner").
“The Chariot” is written and directed by Adam Sigal (”When the Starlight Ends,” “Stakeout”), executive produced by Melissa McPhail, Scarlett Pictures, and produced by Remo, Sasha Yelaun, Henry Penzi, and Carol Anne Watts.
Right before the pandemic hit, Remo moved his company from Orange County, Calif., to Bentonville.
“I can’t say enough good about it,” he said of filming in Little Rock, adding that the ease of shooting here, the support from the film commission and local government, and the state's hospitality added to the decision to move the company.
Thursday and Friday they’re filming a party scene, for which they’ve hired 35 local extras, Remo said.
“The economic impact of the making of a movie is far more crystal clear to me today than it was two weeks ago,” said Jay Chesshir, president of the Little Rock Regional Chamber.
“The amount of local equipment, local people, local products and services that were utilized just in the two days I saw, provides a significant economic impact to a whole host of areas in our economy: from the truck rentals, equipment rentals, prop rentals, on and on and on,” he added.
Kristy Pruitt, the head of hair and makeup on the film, added that during filming, the production has been supporting Arkansas-owned restaurants over chains, in order to support local businesses.
Production took place in the Chamber of Commerce space downtown over the course of two days.
Filming will also take place in the Lafeyette Building and Hotel Frederica, with filming set to wrap up in a cabin in Jasper, Remo said.
Pruitt said the old buildings downtown made good locations, because they have a lot of richness and architectural details. If the set were to be built from scratch, it could take months, she said. Choosing locations that the art department can go in and decorate saves time and money, she added.
Production is expected to wrap up around Valentine’s Day, according to Pruitt.
This story has been updated to include the names of the film’s writer/director and co-producers.