City Of Lights Once More

Canton is lights, camera and action, as production for the upcoming film The Minute You Wake Up Dead recently wrapped. 

The film will star Morgan Freeman, Cole Hauser and Jaimie Alexander in the comedic noir thriller about a stockbroker, an insurance scam and multiple murders. 

Producer Andrew Stevens said this trio is the perfect fit for the film. 

“My former agent many years ago represents Morgan Freeman, and we were chatting, and I told him about the project and director. He said it sounds interesting, send the script; and we went to Cole Houser, who has, over this past year, gotten very popular as Rip in Yellowstone.” 

“We locked him down and went through a process of finding a girl to play Delaney who has all the tools to play this duplicitous complex character. Jamie Alexander grew up in Grapevine, Texas, and really understands the southern nature of the character,” said Stevens. 

Finding the small town feel in Canton came easy with the “venerable film history,” according to Stevens.

“The small town in the film could really be any ‘Smalltown USA,’ but we wanted it to be inherently Southern. The entire square being on the national registry of historic places made it a perfect compliment. The town itself and local townsfolk are a local character in the film,” said Stevens. 

It was more than just the square that solidified Canton as the producer’s choice. 

“I was originally looking at Arkansas, but I took a drive down here, met JoAnne Gordon, and JoAnne sort of opened the keys to the kingdom in Canton.”

“Canton is honored to have been chosen as the location for the filming of The Minute You Wake Up Dead,” said Gordon, who serves as the  Canton Convention and Visitors Bureau Film Commissioner. 

“Producer, actor, and strong film professional Andrew Stevens and esteemed director Michael Mailer, along with their very famous and stellar cast and professional crew, are absolutely one of the best that Canton has enjoyed having in our community,” said Gordon. “Mr. Stevens has brought to us another film family, as well as creating excitement and economic impact to our town.  He is one of the easiest, most thoughtful, and accomplished producers I have ever had the pleasure of working with. Mr. Stevens is very hands-on and believes in being a good citizen while filming and leaving a location better than he found it.”

“His team of professionals have become ensconced in the fabric of our community, and anyone who has met and worked with them will definitely  welcome them back,” continued Gordon. “In fact, several of the crew have worked on productions before in Canton and have stated they wanted to come back. Canton has rolled out the red carpet treatment, but we have received much in return.” 

“We look forward to a continued relationship in filming with Mr. Stevens on subsequent movies,” said Gordon. 

Really embracing the small town’s history and people has been a huge part of the production process. 

Stevens rented the old post office for two to three months and has used the Madison County Sheriff’s office in an effort to depict Canton as the film’s fictional town of Bear Hollow. 

“We’re working in conjunction with the Madison County Sheriff and some of their officers and vehicles. Freeman’s character plays the sheriff. Our uniforms are authentic. It has an inherent sense of authenticity, because of their collaboration on the film.”

“I’ve also got to mention Chief Otha Brown, of course. The Canton Police Department has provided all of our security,” said Stevens. 

Canton has an established history of hosting critically acclaimed and financially successful blockbuster motion pictures. 

Gordon said, “Our town has also been most successful in attracting through the past many years commercial shoots, music videos, and independent made movies. Canton is proud to boast that we have had the privilege of filming movies written by four of Mississippi’s greatest literary giants.”

Those include Eudora Welty’s A Worn Path and The Ponder Heart, John Grisham’s A Time to Kill, Willie Morris’ My Dog Skip, and William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying.

“The goal of filming in Canton is to not only promote filming in Mississippi, but to showcase the rich literary heritage and the vibrant arts that we are best known for nationally and internationally. We worked hard for the literary productions, and they came true,” said Gordon. 

“Mississippi and its communities are best known for its hospitality, which has also created a welcoming environment when Hollywood comes to town. Canton is best known for its National Register Landmark District designation with the historic square and architecture. This unique square and its small town feel is like walking onto the backlot of a Hollywood Studio,” said Gordon. 

Canton is a community that reaches above and beyond in rolling out the red carpet for award-winning actors and actresses that have frequented the beautiful and friendly town in the many years past and still today. 

Gordon said, “We have also become known to many great producers, directors, support casts, and crews, who have also chosen and enjoyed filming and making their movies in Canton.”
“We’re gracious and grateful that the production team decided to come to Canton,” said Canton Mayor William Truly. “It’s been a while since we’ve had a major production here, and we’re just delighted. We hope we continue to attract major film productions. We are so pleased with them, and we hope they enjoyed our community. We’re glad that our community is a star.”
The entire Canton community has embraced movie productions for decades. 

Recently, Stevens walked into the Welcome Center, wondering if it was possible to use the garden area of Grace Episcopal Church. 

With a simple phone call from Gordon, Rev. Beth Foose welcomed production with open arms. It’s that constant sense of hospitality that draws movie actors, producers and lovers of film to Canton. 

With the post production process beginning soon, residents and movie enthusiasts can look forward to this film sometime at the end of 2022.