“Emma! Look out!” shouted actor Douglas Smith while a man dressed as a zombie approached the Domo gas station in Qu’Appelle on Monday morning. Shots were heard, followed by the director’s voice saying, “Cut! That was really good.”
Principal photography for a big budget film Die Alone is underway in the Qu’Appelle valley area. It is set in an apocalyptic time and depicts the experiences of Ethan (Douglas Smith) as he searches for his girlfriend, played by Kimberly-Sue Murray. The cast also includes familiar individuals like Carrie-Anne Moss, famous for her role as Trinity in The Matrix, and Frank Grillo, who played Brock Rumlow in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
The film is written and directed by Sastaoon native Lowell Dean, described as the master of “over the top schlock cinema,” such as Wolfcop.
“I was inspired by the idea of telling a love story about how far people will go for the people they care about, especially in really, really tough times,” Dean told Grasslands News. “This film really forces people to confront how hard it is to survive and stay together.” Dean has shot four films in Saskatchewan, but says this movie “being well over $5-million, couldn’t have been made here two years ago. “We’re here because the government restored its film production production grant money and contributed $2.1 million.” he says.
The grant covers Saskatchewan labour, goods and services which has helped cover production costs. About 100 people who work in Saskatchewans film industry are employed in the shoot.
Although much of the recording and other work will be completed in Regina, Dean is excited for an opportunity to showcase the Qu’Appelle Valley area internationally since it is not a region typically seen on the big screen. “We were looking for some nice cabin country and some lakes, and we found one cabin in particular near Fort Qu’Appelle that had a perfect rustic look,” Dean explained.
Filming will continue until mid-July, followed by post-work such as editing, sound mixing, visual effects, and other necessary production aspects, which will all be completed in Saskatchewan. A release date for Die Alone is expected in 2024.
