While making his new movie "Reagan" in Oklahoma, director Sean McNamara discovered just how versatile the historic city of Guthrie could be, with the Logan County seat standing in for worldwide locales ranging from an Illinois riverbank to the Berlin Wall.
"We literally shot 95% of the movie in Guthrie, Oklahoma . That's what's crazy. We went to the Masonic temple, and we built the Oval Office on the stage there. We had all the Kremlin offices there. We had the state of California offices there. ... The inaugural balls, all of it was shot there Guthrie — and it was amazing," McNamara told The Oklahoma during the Aug. 28 Oklahoma premiere for his latest movie .
"Now to come back to do a premiere here, we're really lucky."
Starring two-time Golden Globe nominee Dennis Quaid , Oscar winner Jon Voight and Golden Globe nominee Penelope Ann Miller , the biographical drama about America's 40th president opens Friday, Aug. 30, in theaters nationwide.
Along with McNamara and Quaid, Gov. Kevin Stitt , actor Trevor Donovan and several Oklahoma performers, legislators and film industry representatives walked the red carpet at Edmond's Hilton Garden Inn before attending the first Sooner State screenings of the presidential biopic at the nearby ShowBiz Cinemas Edmond .
"'Reagan' is the perfect example of what can happen when we decide to move together as a people, when we can step back from all of the heavy and the weight, but actually look at getting good done as one Oklahoma," said state Rep. Brian Hill, R-Mustang.
"'Reagan' being filmed here shows that regardless of the background, whether it's Berlin, Moscow or any other part of the nation or D.C., you can film here in Oklahoma. You can do it cheaper here. We're going to do things well for you. You've got an amazing workforce here ready for you. Oklahoma's the place to be."
Gov. Stitt proclaims 'Reagan the Movie Day' in the state of Oklahoma
To kick off the Sooner State red-carpet event, Stitt read and presented to Quaid a proclamation designating Wednesday "Reagan the Movie Day" in the state of Oklahoma.
"Film (and) Hollywood just kind of captures the imagination of young people, and we're here on the red carpet today — and it's just cool bringing this kind of stuff to Oklahoma," Stitt told The Oklahoman.
"'Reagan' just happened to be my favorite president when I was a little boy. That was the first president that I really remember, and so I've always admired President Reagan."
Set against the backdrop of the Cold War, the new biopic follows Ronald Reagan's life from his childhood in Dixon, Illinois, to his acting career in Hollywood , to the U.S. presidency and the world stage. Reagan served two terms as president, from 1981 to 1989, and died on June 5, 2004 , after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease.
"I think Ronald Reagan is like a real-life Forrest Gump . If you think about his upbringing, he came from very desperate situations, an alcoholic father, very, very poor. ... He earned a scholarship, which nobody did at that point in time, went into radio, then into acting, had some down times, and then, eventually, we all know him as governor and president," said line producer John Sullivan.
"I think it was like 30% of the world held free elections prior to him being president, and I think it was like 70% by 1994. So, it's kind of a one-person-can-change-the-world moment."
How did filming on 'Reagan' in Guthrie bolster the local economy?
The biopic began filming in the Oklahoma City and Guthrie areas in September 2020. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Oklahoma was one of the few states where filming on movies like "Reagan" could continue, and Guthrie City Manager Eddie Faulkner said the production provided a much-needed boost to the local economy .
"It was truly transformational. The film, the crew, the producers, they became one with the community. They really just integrated themselves well, so (you) couldn't tell them apart from the regular residents. ... But they filled an entire hotel. Not only that, every bed and breakfast we have in the community was full, as well," Faulkner said.
"There's lots of great momentum (with the state film industry ). ... We see the impact it had in Guthrie, and we've seen it with 'Twisters' in El Reno ."
A Texas native, Quaid has made at least three movies in Oklahoma with "Reagan," 2018's "I Can Only Imagine" and 2021's "American Underdog ."
"Oklahoma, first off, it's got great people — my dad's from Oklahoma, by the way — and it's got great crews. The towns — the little towns, the big towns — roll out the red carpet and make things easy to work here and put peopleto work. It's fantastic," Quaid told The Oklahoman at Wednesday's premiere.
The movie's director didn't return to the Sooner State just to attend the premiere of "Reagan." McNamara, who is based in Los Angeles, is making his next project, the inspirational sports drama "Will to Win," in Oklahoma, too.
With filming slated to start soon in the Tulsa area, "Will to Win" will follow a traumatized teenager who finds renewed purpose in learning about homegrown entertainment icon Will Rogers, embracing her Native American heritage and breaking down gender barriers, all on the way to a state baseball championship.
"You guys have the best crew, best actors out here ... so when they sent me the script, I had to read it. And it's just a great story about Will Rogers ," McNamara said. "Most people don't know that he was bigger than, like, Tom Cruise, and he had a (newspaper) column all over the U.S. And so it's going to be a great movie."
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: 'Truly transformational:' After filming in Oklahoma, premiere brings back 'Reagan' cast, crew
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