Dan Kane - The Repository
Hollywood is coming to the Akron-Canton area this summer.
Plans are for "Chosen," a film about adoption and foster parenting starring Dean Cain and Hoover High School graduate Eddie McClintock, to shoot in mid-June in the region. "Chosen" is a production of JCFilms, a company based in West Virginia.
"My company makes Christian faith and pro-family films," said Jason Campbell, president, writer and executive producer of JCFilms. "We did the recent film about PTSD, 'A Patriot's Day,' with Dean Cain."
The movies primarily are distributed through the streaming service Amazon Prime.
"Chosen" will be a multi-plot film with stories about adoption and foster parenting that come together, Campbell said. "It's about correcting stereotypes. We hope this film will encourage people to adopt and be foster parents. Ironically, Dean Cain is adopted."
McClintock, a 1985 Hoover graduate who lives in the Los Angeles area, starred for five seasons in the hit SyFy Channel series “Warehouse 13,” which ran from 2009 through 2014. Cain is best known for playing the role of Clark Kent/Superman in the TV series "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman."
McClintock being cast in "Chosen" stemmed from his friendship with Cain. "I was talking with Dean about what's going on and how I just want to work, and he was like, 'Would you be interested in doing some faith-based films with me?' " McClintock said. "I'm not a big religious guy, but the (film's) ultimate message is not specifically related to any one religious group. It's about adoption and it's a message that can help people. Plus, I get to work for the first time ever in Ohio."
The "Chosen" script still is in the works.
"Last Sunday, my wife and I visited with members of an adoption agency, and they told their stories one by one," Campbell said. "One story that fascinates me is the little boy left in the cemetery (in Hinckley) over Christmas."
A boy named Tony and a family dog were abandoned at the Hope Memorial Gardens cemetery in December. The boy since has been reunited with his father.
The "Chosen" film is expected to use community members as extras.
"We'll have 200 to 300 people involved. We encourage churches and small groups to participate," Campbell said. "That area has so many talented young people that have been sitting at home. This is a great opportunity for them to explore filmmaking and acting. We're designing a story to involve as many young people as possible.
"Hopefully, the COVID restrictions will be lifted by then," Campbell added. "We'll be safe either way. We're still going to shoot the film."
Prior to the shoot, McClintock will be in Akron on April 17 to teach a day of acting classes sponsored by JCFilms at Crown Studios at 1000 Ghent Road in Bath Township. (Crown is a "Chosen" partner.) For details and to register, visit JCFilms.org/Adoption.
"People from those classes can then audition for the film," McClintock said. "They're going to use people from the area to fill in the cast, which is kind of cool."
More details about casting and other "Chosen" details will be announced.
"We'll be looking for volunteers — people that want to learn more about filmmaking, Christian filmmaking, lots of neat stuff," Campbell said.
He launched JCFilms in 2011 with actor Erik Estrada, who's best known for his starring role on the television show "CHiPs" as officer Francis Llewellyn "Ponch" Poncherello.
"We've done about 30 films so far," Campbell said. "Erik and I did the first film, 'Finding Faith,' and we toured the country with it, showing the movie at churches. Erik did about six films with us, then he introduced me to Dean Cain, who has done the last 14 or 15."
JCFilms has explored such topics as bullying, internet safety, homelessness, opioid
addiction, and appreciation of teachers and police. Campbell compares his films to ABC Afterschool Specials. They're 60 to 90 minutes long, he said, with a family-friendly, topical message designed to start conversation.