A major motion picture is once again filming in the area.
Cotesworth, the former home of U.S. Sen. J.Z. George, which is outside of North Carrollton, will serve as a filming location for an adaptation of the William Faulkner novel “The Sound and the Fury.” Actor James Franco will star in and direct the film. He also co-wrote the script.
Local businesses are already buzzing as production crews, who began arriving last week, prepare the location for the shoot. Filming is scheduled to start Friday and continue through Oct. 5.
While part of the film will be shot in Carroll County, the majority of the film crew will be based out of Greenwood.
This is Franco’s second time making an adaptation of a Faulkner classic. He directed and starred in a film version of “As I Lay Dying,” which was shot primarily in Canton. That film debuted earlier this year at the Cannes Film Festival and will open in theaters later this month.
It’s also the second feature film in three years to be shot in the Greenwood area. “The Help,” filmed in 2010, used Greenwood extensively and also featured the Cotesworth estate.
Cotesworth will play the part of the Compson family home in the new movie, which traces the decline of that family in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County.
The cast has not been publicly confirmed, but “Mad Men” star Jon Hamm is among those rumored to be involved.
Paige Hunt, executive director of the Greenwood Convention and Visitors Bureau, said her organization worked closely with the Mississippi Film Commission to bring the movie to the area.
“About six to seven weeks ago, I got a call, and we started helping scout locations with the producer and a representative from the Mississippi Film Commission,” Hunt said. “(The producers) had fallen in love with Mississippi already, and then they fell in love with Greenwood.”
The amenities and charm of Greenwood played a big role in bringing the film to the area, according to Suresh Chawla, treasurer of Chawla Management, a hotel development company whose hotels will host some of the film’s crew in Greenwood.
“The key was they wanted to have their production people stay in a town with strong retail options, great restaurants and great accommodations,” Chawla said. “(Greenwood) fit that bill.”
While the arrival of a star like Franco will surely stir up excitement, the film won’t only bring a bit of Hollywood glitz and glamour to Leflore and Carroll counties. It’ll also bring money.
“This will be a big boon economically for the area because you have a lot of people that’ll be eating in our restaurants, shopping in our retail establishments,” said Chawla.
He said the film crew has already hired a number of local people, including carpenters and a medic. The movie’s art and production departments have also bought many materials locally, including hardware supplies for set construction.
The economic benefits of hosting film production can be very substantial, and Hunt says her organization works to help anyone shooting a film in the area, “be it feature films, documentaries or commercials.”
State Sen. Lydia Chassaniol, R-Winona, who represents parts of Carroll and Leflore counties, said that makes the growing film industry an asset to the region. “It’s good for the economy, plus it gives us a chance to give a very positive image of our community.”
A film production incentive program enacted by the Mississippi Legislature offers filmmakers financial benefits to shoot in Mississippi. Meanwhile, local organizations such as Hunt’s Convention and Visitors Bureau work with the Mississippi Film Office, a state agency, to attract films to the state.
“People are understanding the importance of filmmaking and how it’s a business, how it brings revenue and publicity to your area,” Hunt said.
Chawla said he thinks once producers look at the Delta, they’ll realize it makes a lot of sense as a setting for a movie.
“Our landscape, culture and hospitality is what a lot of filmmakers are looking for,” he said.
• Contact Bryn Stole at 581-7235 or bstole@gwcommonwealth.com.
