Experience Media Studios CEO Michael-Ryan Fletchall has signed on to fund the completion of the indie feature "Carmel-by-the-Sea."
The erstwhile "Carmel" was in the middle of shooting when it stopped two years ago amid financial problems.
But with Fletchall's participation, the film is finally done.
The movie follows a 15-year-old art prodigy Joshua (played by Josh Hutcherson) who is abandoned by his drug-addicted mother in Carmel-by-the-Sea, a small town in Northern California known internationally for its local art community. Lauren Bacall, Alfred Molina and Hayden Panettiere co-star.
The movie went into pre-production in 2008 and began filming in Carmel, Calif. in February 2009. It wasn't completed when financing dried up.
It finished post-production last week. Its new team, which acquired the project in 2010, will market it to distributors in March.
“With the work done on the financial and creative side of ‘Carmel-by-the-Sea,’ we are now looking forward to the film’s acquisition process, ensuring this film gets the proper theatrical release it deserves,” producer Craig Comstock said in a written statement.
It was Comstock who approached Fletchall and got him onboard.
But by the time that happened, the actors were unavailable and had gotten a little older.
So Fletchall and director Lawrence Rock used a little movie magic.
They brought in some doubles and added aerial photography and music.
In 12 weeks, they finished post-production. They also built a website to clear up lingering misconceptions about the movie.
"We were creative in a lot of ways," Fletchall told TheWrap.
One benefit to the gap between production and completion is that in the ensuing months star Hutcherson has seen his profile rise dramatically thanks to the success of "The Kids Are All Right."
