Final yr, I had the nice fortune of visiting the set of Blumhouse’s upcoming horror film “The Girl within the Yard.” It came about in a university city referred to as Athens, Georgia, about an hour away from Atlanta, give or take. What I anticipated to come across throughout that go to was some behind-the-scenes information of Jaume Collet-Serra’s return to the horror style. What I did not anticipate to find was how Todd Phillips was answerable for a near-total ban on filming on the College of Georgia that lasted greater than 20 years.
Phillips is finest often known as the director of DC’s $1 billion smash hit “Joker” from 2019. Earlier than that, he was recognized finest for his work in R-rated comedies like “The Hangover.” His first foray into the style was 2000’s “Outdated Faculty,” which served as his function directorial debut. He’d beforehand directed a documentary about Phish referred to as “Bittersweet Motel” and an unaired HBO documentary referred to as “Frat Home,” however this was his popping out get together as a filmmaker.
In the course of the set go to, we spent most of our time at Athena Studios, a then-newly constructed manufacturing facility simply outdoors of Athens. “The Girl within the Yard” was one of many first main productions to make use of the power. Talking with Joel Harber, the President and CEO of Athena Studios, he revealed that they’ve a great relationship with the College of Georgia, which is actually on the coronary heart of Athens.
“By way of that relationship we have now an inroad to have the ability to get productions onto campus if wanted. In order that’s one thing that is been comparatively shut down for the final 20 years or so,” Harber defined to me and the opposite journalists in attendance. So, why was manufacturing shut down on campus for greater than 20 years, precisely? “After I was in class there, there was a film referred to as ‘Street Journey’ that was filmed there,” He added. “Street Journey” was the wrongdoer.
The College of Georgia wasn’t thrilled with Street Journey
For individuals who might have a refresher, “Street Journey” facilities on Josh (Breckin Meyer) who movies his affair with one other woman and by accident mails it to his girlfriend. After realizing his error, Josh and two of his faculty buddies head out on an 1,800-mile, debaucherous street journey from Ithaca, N.Y., to Austin, Texas, to save lots of his relationship.
Regardless of being Phillips’ first narrative function, he had the backing of a significant studio in DreamWorks and an honest finances to work with. As Harber additional defined, he additionally had the complete cooperation of the College of Georgia:
“They had been like, ‘Yeah, certain, movie anyplace. If you wish to get within the stadium, you need to do that.’ They had been in all places. The film got here out and for sure, the administration was probably not thrilled.”
The film was a success, one which spawned a little-seen DTV sequel titled “Street Journey: Beer Pong,” nevertheless it was additionally an R-rated, sex-filled, teen romp that is not precisely the type of factor a prestigious faculty usually needs to be related to. “I do not assume that gelled with the picture they needed to undertaking,” Harber stated. “In order that they mainly put up an iron gate and stated, ‘You may’t come out right here anymore.’ So there’s been little or no filmed on campus since then.”
Phillips went on to have a giant profession, most not too long ago directing “Joker: Folie a Deux,” which was a giant business bomb. Perhaps which means he’ll return to R-rated comedies for a change of tempo. As for Harber and Athena Studios, they’ve really been working with the College of Georgia to creating filming on the campus doable once more by getting the varsity’s college students concerned immediately:
“We have been working with UGA to attempt to loosen that up. After which make a few of that filming about getting the scholars concerned and it is like, ‘Hey, you need to movie on campus? We want 20 headsets and college students in video village and we wish them to have the ability to be part of that.’ And so that is what’s occurring proper now.”
“The Girl within the Yard” hits theaters on March 28, 2025.
