Disney film coming to AHS

By Justin Martin

The “worst-kept secret in town” was made public Tuesday night.

Abbeville Film and Visitors Commission Director Gale Luquette announced Tuesday night that The Walt Disney Company will be filming for the movie “Secretariat” in Abbeville beginning as early as Friday.

“We are not sure if they are going to start Friday or Saturday,” Luquette told the Abbeville City Council. “But they will be filming at Abbeville High School until Wednesday of next week.”

Luquette also said the film crew is also scouting other locations in the area, but the AHS site is a definite.

AHS Principal James Segrest explained there is a scene in the movie involving a high school theater production, and the film crew found that the AHS auditorium fit their needs for the script.

“They started sending everyone from the director to people taking measurements to check out the place over the last couple of months,” Segrest said. “I told them that during the Thanksgiving holidays, there would not be any students in the way. So, they managed to fit that into their schedule.”

Segrest said there has been a buzz at the school recently concerning the arrival of a big budget film crew.

“There is a little excitement involved that one day the bricks of our school will be on the big screen,” Segret said. “I hope ‘Secretariat’ makes a billion dollars.”

“Secretariat” is a biographical film about the racehorse Secretariat and his owner Penny Chenery. Secretariat won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes in 1973, making him the first Triple Crown-winning thoroughbred horse in 25 years.

The screenplay was written by Mike Rich, who is most known for his 2003 movie, “Radio.” The film is being directed by Randall Wallace, who has also directed “The Man in the Iron Mask” and “We Were Soldiers.” He is probably best known for writing the 1995 epic “Braveheart.”

John Malkovich, Diane Lane and Kevin Connolly are set to star.

According the IMDB.com, the movie is set to be released Oct. 8, 2010.

Luquette also told the Council that three separate film crews have scouted filming locations during the last few months, with a fourth considering the City.