A Chariot Ride Through Little Rock
When you think of Little Rock, locations to scout and film movie scenes is not the first thing that comes to mind.
Well, it鈥檚 time to think again!
Film cameras, large trucks and socially distanced production crews were seen the first Friday in February spilling into the Lafayette Building鈥檚 parking lot, located on South Louisiana Street in the heart of downtown Little Rock.
鈥淭he Chariot鈥� is a dark and comedic film, written and directed by Adam Sigal (鈥淒aydreamer鈥�, 鈥淲hen the Starlight Ends鈥�) and executive produced by Melissa McPhail and Scarlett Pictures, LLC. We follow the story of a young man and his journey meeting the love of his (previous) life through a business firm that facilitates the reincarnation process.
Starring in Sigal鈥檚 third feature production is John Malkovich (鈥淏eing John Malkovich鈥�, 鈥淒angerous Liaisons,鈥�),Rosa Salazar (鈥淎merican Horror Story鈥�, 鈥淏irdbox鈥�) and Shane West (鈥淎 Walk to Remember鈥�, 鈥淭he League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.鈥�) Other accomplished actors working on the film include Thomas Mann (鈥淧roject X鈥�, 鈥淜ong: Skull Island鈥�) and Scout Taylor-Compton (鈥淗alloween鈥�, 鈥淗alloween II.鈥�)
Actors flew in from out of state to work side-by-side with 35 Arkansas locals starring as extra. One extra, a local nightlife entertainer at the forefront of the Little Rock LGBTQ+ nightclub scene, found themselves bumping shoulders with Hollywood veterans.
Evan Jacobs, 30, of Little Rock works throughout the week as a cosmetologist at R Hair Co. to pay the bills. His passion lies within hosting and performing at drag shows in drag as Chloe Jacobs. You can find her on stage most weekends at both the Triniti and Discovery Nightclubs.
Jacobs鈥� talent for entertaining and performing in drag prepared him for this once in a lifetime opportunity. He was connected with the casting agency through an indirect family friend and secured one of those 35 extra roles. Filming the scenes in drag as Chloe was career first for Jacobs.
One upside to filming on location in Arkansas is the affordable prices of renting properties, equipment and crews within the community. By hiring local businesses, people and services within the community, along with buying local products, directly benefits and stimulates the states鈥� economy.
Shooting a movie on location can be tougher than filming in a studio on a good day, let alone during an ongoing pandemic. CDC measures and professional healthcare guidelines were adhered to by everyone behind the scenes, in production and by those actively shooting scenes on set. COVID-19 rapid tests were provided each day of filming and before anyone stepped in front of the camera. Masks were mandatory and worn by everyone present on the days of filming.
Some celebrities took advantage of this mask mandate to create some anonymity while in town. John Malkovich was seen sporting a low-profile while walking around on set in sunglasses, pants, a hoodie and a mask. Seeing the disguised actor walking around amongst the crew, Jacobs recalls the moment he realized it was Malkovich. 鈥淗e was just hanging out, casually walking around on set,鈥� Jacobs said, 鈥渨e never even knew it was him.鈥�
A release date has not been confirmed at this time for the film, but if you are interested, make sure to keep an eye out for your local Arkansans.