MARQUETTE -- In June 2011, Hollywood casting crews came to Marquette to scout local talent for roles in the independent film "Meteor." The majority of the film was to be shot in Marquette.
It's not good news for U.P. residents that were looking forward to some time on the big screen. Meteor was to be a light-hearted comedy, somewhere along the lines of Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, but there's nothing funny about the status of the movie.
Many U.P. residents were excited to learn that a movie may be filmed in Marquette. Last June, men and women came to Northern Michigan University to audition for roles in the independent film. The excitement ran high and the mood was optimistic, but weeks after actors were selected, things took a turn for the worse.
Tension grew thick between director J.J. Azan and executive producer Rhys Mussman, owner of UpFront & Company in Marquette and MoonSun Pictures.
"There was a lot of miscommunication that was happening between the producer and director so, therefore, a lot of disputes and, therefore, a final agreement of canceling it," says Michael Skrobeck, a senior NMU theater major chosen to star in Meteor.
Filming was supposed to begin in September of 2011. Instead, MoonSun issued a press release stating the cancelation of Meteor. Mussman wishes to continue working in the U.P with other movies in the future, but for now, there is a legal battle over who owns the script between Azan and Mussman.
J.J. Azan says, "I thinks it's a great script, and I want to see the movie made."
Well don't hold your breath. It's not impossible for Meteor to be revamped in the future, but it may be a long time, if ever.
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