Looks like Hollywood is coming to a Howell School… apparently producers hope William H. Macy will join the cast… the deal means thousands of dollars for the school district, but the subject matter has at least one parent concerned

CLOSED SCHOOL OPEN FOR MOVIE MAKERS

Last week, word coming from Howell Public Schools that they reached a deal and the school board approved to lease a school - Parker High School that has been closed for months - for the filming of a medium-budget/ independent movie called “High School”.

Parallel Media of Studio City, California is the production company making the movie.

Filming of the $9.5 million budget movie could begin in late October… and is expected to last three months.

The Livingston Community News reports: “The Howell School District estimates its budget will get a revenue boost of about $120,000 from the film production company that will spend three months creating a movie in the district’s unused Parker High School…. the district will receive $15,000 a week for the 12 weeks the production company will use the facility.”

Parker High School was built after voters approved a 2003 bond issue but was used for just the 2007-2008 school year and closed because the district couldn’t afford to run both it and Howell High School.

SOUND FAMILIAR?

You may remember a deal that fell through for Grand Rapids Public Schools to lease out a closed school for a movie…. the Samuel L. Jackson movie “Unthinkable” was going to lease Iroquis Middle School from GRPS but quickly pulled production out of Grand Rapids.

CASTING RUMORS/ HOPES

Rumors have the filmmakers hoping to cast William H. Macy as the principal at the school.

More info: WDIV reports on “High School”

ONE PARENT’S TOKE-N CONCERN

There was one parent at the school board meeting the night the deal was approved that criticized the move… because the movie’s plot reportedly involves one student that tries to get the whole school high in order to lower the curve.

According to the Livingston County News, the parent in opposition said that even though the movie will have an anti-drug message, she doesn’t like the fact that one of the protagonists, a high school student, is a habitual drug user who convinces his squeaky-clean, over-achieving buddy to try drugs.

More info: Livingston County News on concerns about the drug use in “High School”