Beloit native to make Packer film
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Patience. If anybody pursuing a career in Hollywood doesn't have it, they might as well pack their bags for home.
Beloit native Ryan Churchill, a 1994 Memorial High School graduate, moved to Los Angeles in 2004 with hopes of making it big in the film industry. Slowly, but surely, he has made in-roads, including a part in a recent episode of the CBS show “The Mentalist,” which airs its two-hour series finale on Wednesday, Feb. 18, after a seven-year run.
So, why would somebody leave the glitz and glamour of the West Coast for Titletown? That's because Churchill, 39, became a Green Bay Packers fan from being around his late grandfather, John McCue, while growing up.
And one of Churchill's current projects is a movie called “The 60-Yard Line,” which he hopes to start filming in Green Bay in June.
The theme isn't new, but the locale and backdrop would make any Cheesehead proud: His best friend, Tim Lucke, bought a house on the corner of Stadium Drive and Oneida Street in Ashwaubenon, just across the street from the Lambeau Field parking lot.
So, the romantic comedy is about this guy whose lifelong love affair with the Green and Gold gets in the way of the love for his girlfriend.
“The premise is that this guy is about to propose, but he has to choose between his whole crazy life, which revolves around the Packers and party house, or his girl,” Churchill said. “It's a story that resonates with everybody and could be put anywhere. But when Tim bought that house, I went up to see it, and I just knew there was a movie there somewhere. So I started forming ideas for the script that same year (2004).”
Churchill is putting the finishing touches on his 12th rewrite, and he tentatively has current fullback John Kuhn and former offensive tackle Mark Tauscher on board for cameo appearances. The goal also is to get more current and former Green Bay players, such as Aaron Rodgers, as well as dozens of tailgaters, and marketable Hollywood names for the lead roles -- his ideal candidates would be Rodgers' girlfriend, Olivia Munn, and Justin Timberlake.
Before shooting for the sky in casting, the most crucial step is raising enough money -- an estimated $105,000 of the $500,000-plus total -- to start serious production work, including the initial filming this summer. He and co-writer Nick Greco are conducting a crowdfunding campaign at indiegogo.com, a 60-day effort that ends Feb. 20. To donate, go to https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/donate-today-the-sixty-yard-line-movie.
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