The producers of “Agent Game” and “The Royal” are returning to Augusta next month to film a baseball flick starring Dennis Quaid.
“The Hill” is about Rickey Hill, who played several seasons in the Montreal Expos’ minor league system. Born in 1956, Hill had a spinal condition that led one leg being shorter than the other. As a child, he wore leg braces, but his dream was to play baseball even though his dad deterred him, according to Warren Ostergard, who is producing the film.
“He stopped wearing the braces. He had a limp, and he wasn’t a fast guy, but he was powerful with the bat,” said Ostergard.
The film is in the same vein as other great sports’ films that focus on underdogs whose spirit and determination helps them triumph in the face of adversity. Ostergard compared it to films such as “Hoosiers” and “Rudy.”
“It’s very classic,” he said. “It’s a great movie.”
And it should be like those films because one of the writers on the team is Angelo Pizzo who wrote “Hoosiers” and “Rudy.” Scott Marshall Smith, who died in December 2020, also worked on the screenplay. Smith’s writing credits include “Men of Honor” and “When the Game Stands Tall.”
Quaid will play Rickey Hill’s father, Pastor Hill. He’s starred in multiple films including “Yours, Mine & Ours,” “The Rookie,” “The Parent Trap,” “Any Given Sunday” and “I Can Only Imagine.” The rest of the cast list is still in the works.
Ostergard said director Jeff Celantano has been working on this project for 12 years.
Others who will be taking part in the film include Mark Robert Ellis who worked in some sports’ coordinator role on scores of films including “Jerry Maguire,” “The Rookie,” “The Longest Yard,” “Mr. 3000” and “We Are Marshall.”
“We are lucky to have him,” said Ostergard.
Ellis will be the co-producer and baseball coordinator for the film.
Oscar-nominated Geoffrey Kirkland will do production design. His credits span nearly 60 years, and he’s worked on projects such as “War Games,” “Fame,” “The Right Stuff,” “Space Jam” and “Bugsy Malone.”
The film will be shot over the course of about five to six weeks beginning in November.
On Wednesday, crews were at Lake Olmstead Stadium preparing the former Augusta GreenJackets’ field for the movie.
Michael Perry, managing partner for C4 Live, which will be transforming the stadium into an events’ venue, said he is a baseball fan and loves that the stadium will have one last hurrah with baseball before renovations begin.
Ostergard, who lives in Charleston, S.C., said he likes filming in Augusta.
The area is not hard to get around and the people are open and welcoming, he said.
Plus, in Augusta, he’s able to take advantage of the tax incentives offered through the state of Georgia.
Ostergard said “Agent Game” which was shot in Augusta earlier this year with Mel Gibson and Dermot Mulroney is still in post-production but hopes to have more news on distribution by Thanksgiving.
“The Royal” is another baseball flick about Willie Mays Aikens. It was shot in the area in 2019.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the features editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com.
So You Want to Be in Movie?
Extras and vintage vehicles are needed for filming of “The Hill.”
Baseball players between the ages of 18 and 30 are needed for multiple days Nov. 15-19 and Nov. 22. Some days as many as 80 players are needed; others as few as 30, said Warren Ostergard, the film’s producer.
People with baseball experience whether high school, college or professional are encouraged to apply.
So far, about 26 people have been contracted, he said.
Also needed are about 150 extras to serve as fans on the evening of Nov. 22.
Ostergard said he’s also in need of vehicles from the 1950s through the 1970s to be part of the period piece.
He said people will be paid for their participation.
To be considered, email thehillmoviecasting@gmail.com.
