“The Genesis Code” debuts first trailer online

We’re still waiting for the Grand Rapids premiere and release of “The Genesis Code”, but here’s a good sign.. our first official look at scenes from the movie that filmed at Calvin College and around the Grand Rapids area for five weeks last summer (Grand Rapids, Wyoming, Lowell).

The premiere and opening was planned for the first week of February in Grand Rapids, but is being postponed to later in the month while the crew finishes up visual effects… some of those can be seen in the trailer.

In the trailer for “The Genesis Code” you can see the scenes shot on the campus of Calvin College, at the Patterson Ice Center, at the Grand Rapids Public Museum, the River Walk along the Grand River, and at the Silver Bullet shooting range in Wyoming.

The movie stars Logan Bartholomew and Kelsey Sanders as lead characters “Blake” and “Kerry”.  

In order of appearance in the trailer:
Jerry Zandstra, Pastor at Wayland CRC and Vice President of American Saga Productions (the local production company) plays the pastor and Kerry’s father.   
Ben Murphy is the Professor in the class teaching about Darwin.
Adam Chambers is Marc” the physics guy talking about science versus faith in scenes at the Grand Rapids Public Museum.
C.R. Lewis is one of Blake’s best friends and hockey teammate.
Catherine Hicks plays “Myra” (trying to give Kerry some advice in the trailer).
Rich Franklin and Roger Garcia are the hockey coaches.
The movie also stars local actor Armon York Williams plays a legal adviser to Blake (brief cameo in the trailer).
Oscar Winners Louise Fletcher and Ernest Borgnine are Blake’s grandparents.
Fred Thompson plays the judge presiding over the family battle of life support.
Lance Henriksen is the doctor in the trailer, Rance Howard’s character also has “Dr.” in the title.
The movie also stars Susan Blakely, Michael William Freeman, Jamie Kramer, Chris Yen, and more.

Here’s a link to 4 minute, 33 second online trailer, the first trailer for the movie on twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.

The movie is directed by C. Thomas Howell.

I’ll post images from the trailer as soon as I can.

Previous posts on “The Genesis Code”: (more…)

“The Genesis Code” will premiere in Grand Rapids in February and open ahead of national release

UPDATE 12/28/09:  Producers say the Grand Rapids premiere is planned for Tuesday, February 2nd and will open to the general public on Friday, February 5th – scheduled for Celebration North and Celebration Rivertown.

WOODTV Sports Director Jack Doles and Kevin Matthews from WLAV were in the sound studio last week recording audio as announcers for two hockey games and a football game.

Originally posted 11/17/09:

Producers of the movie “The Genesis Code” that filmed around the Grand Rapids area this summer have their movie finished and are now planning the premiere.

The movie is said to be on track for a December/January release and Producer Mark VanderWal says “We are working with Loeks (Celebration! Cinema) to confirm the dates for the premiere.  We will likely be doing a two week run of engagement here in West Michigan prior to releasing TGC nationwide.”

 ”The Genesis Code” is about a college hockey player and a female journalism student trying to find common ground between their spiritual faith and scientific studies.  

Logan Bartholomew and Kelsey Sanders play the lead characters “Blake” and “Kerry”.   The cast also includes Louise Fletcher, Ernest Borgnine, Fred Thompson, (more…)

“The Genesis Code” putting out call for extras 18 and older

“The Genesis Code”, filming in West Michigan, is looking for nearly 200 extras to be in the crowd of hockey scenes at Patterson Ice Arena for Thursday and Friday night.   Prospective extras must be 18 or older and available to stay for 5:00pm to 5:00am overnight shoot.  The extras are not paid positions but be fed.

Send your contact information and desired date (August 27 or 28) to genesisextras@gmail.com 

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More cast details released for “The Genesis Code”

Three more recognizable names coming to West Michigan to be part of the cast of “The Genesis Code”: veterans actors Lance Henriksen and Rance Howard and veteran actress Catherine Hicks.

Veteran movie bad guy Lance Henriksen will play “Dr. Hoffer”, Henricksen recently starred in ”Appaloosa” (2008) and played a minor part in “The Quick and the Dead” (1995) amoung others.

Rance Howard, the father of Ron and Clint Howard, and recently starred in “Angels & Demons” (2009) and “Frost/Nixon” (2008) will play “Dr. Tolley”.

Catherine Hicks who may be most best known most recently as the mom on “7th Heaven”, and also starred in “Child’s Play” (1988) and “Peggy Sue Got Married” (1986) will play “Myra”.

The main characters of “Blake” and “Kerry” will be played by Logan Bartholomew (parts on “CSI” and “Ghost Whisperer”) and Kelsey Sanders (parts on “CSI” and “iCarly”).

The rest of the cast includes: C.R. Lewis will play “Shane”, Adam Chambers (“Night of the Living Dead 3D” (2006) and parts on “CSI”, “ER”) will play “Marc”, Jerry Zandstra (Pastor at Wayland CRC) will play “Rev. Wells”,
Michael William Freeman (“parts on “The Mentalist”, “Bones”, “The Closer”) will play “Chase”, Ben Murphy (tv parts inclduing ”JAG” and “Navy NCIS”) will play “Professor Campbell”, Jamie Kramer will play “Michaele”, Chris Yen will play “Lin Chen”, and Roger Garcia (bailiff on “Days of Our Lives” 1997-2007) will play “court clerk”.

Louise Fletcher will play Ellen Taylor
Ernest Borgnine will play Carl Taylor
Rich Franklin will play Coach Edwards
Fred Thompson will play Judge Hardin

First casting news 7/28/09:

The first batch of casting news is coming out today for “The Genesis Code”, with three acting heavyweights and a middleweight… a middlewight fighter that is.

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Three award winning actors and a UFC championship fighter join “The Genesis Code”

The first batch of casting news is coming out today for “The Genesis Code”, with three acting heavyweights and a middleweight… a middlewight fighter that is.

Fred Thompson, actor from “Law and Order” fame and Republican Presidential candidate will be playing a judge.

Ernest Borgnine, 1955 Academy Award winner for Best Actor in “Marty”, will be playing grandfather to the male lead.

Louise Fletcher, 1976 Academy Award winner for Best Actress in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”, will be playing grandmother to the male lead.

Rich Franklin, UFC Middleweight Champion, will be playing a Hockey coach.

The family-friendly feature-length drama is about a college hockey player and his relationship with a female reporter at the school newspaper.

Jerry Zandstra, vice president of American Saga Productions, says that more of the casting news will be released soon and that the principal cast is coming into town for wardrobe fittings and rehearsals this week.

The crew has spent the last few weeks in pre-production, shooting some exterior locations and one scene at the Silver Bullet shooting range on Division in Wyoming, Michigan.

The cast and crew will spend the first 11 days of shooting at Calvin College starting next Monday, August 3rd.  In a previous update, Zandstra said the majority of scenes will be shot in and around Calvin College… on campus, in classrooms, the cfaeteria, the President’s House, Nursing School, the Chapel.

The movie is also expected to shoot in Grand Rapids and Lowell in various locations including Patterson Ice Center and the Grand Rapids Public Museum.

The movie will be directed by Patrick Read Johnson.

Anyone interested in being an extra can email: genesisextras@gmail.com.

“The Genesis Code” production schedule blog

Crew call for “The Genesis Code” blog

If you’d like to be part of the crew, send electronic submissions to crew@thegenesiscodemovie.com.

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