If you go to the movies this year, you’ll probably end up looking like Rick Dalton — you’ll be seeing a lot of Louisville up there on the silver screen.
Like the trailers before the movie, here’s a preview: Kentucky’s Cabinet for Economic Development has released a list of productions that qualified for the Kentucky Entertainment Incentive last year. Look for film crews coming soon to a location near you.
Here are a few of the major films that have used Louisville as a backdrop lately — this way you don’t have to wait around until the credits to find out.
“Dead Man’s Wire”
This film from Louisville-born director Gus Van Sant has been spotted around town within the last two weeks — let’s hope the plot included snow — including outside the Louisville Gardens downtown and near the City View Apartments.
The hostage thriller stars Bill Skarsgård, who previously starred in “It” and “Nosferatu.”
Bonus: You might see a friend in the background when this one hits theaters — the producers hired locals to be extras.
With filming currently ongoing, a release date is TBD.
“The Revisionist”
This Dustin Hoffman-led film turned some pages when it shot scenes at Carmichael’s Bookstore on Frankfort Avenue last year — Louisville mayor Craig Greenberg even stopped by.
The two-time Oscar winner stars alongside Alison Brie in this drama about a novelist who begins to blur the lines between her fiction and reality.
A release is expected sometime this year.
“Queen of the Ring”
After the trailer for this upcoming sports biopic was released last week, the Conrad-Caldwell House in Old Louisville revealed that it was the set for scenes about 1950s female wrestler Mildred Burke. It was also shot in other downtown locations like The Palace Theatre and The Henry Clay.
It stars Emily Bett Rickards as 20th-century female professional wrestler Mildred Burke — you may have seen Rickards in the CW show, “Arrow.”
“Queen of the Ring” will begin rolling in theaters on Friday, March 7.
“Red Camellia”
This indie murder mystery follows a small-town waitress who tries to prove her brother’s innocence after he was arrested for murder. It stars Carly Chaikin of “Mr. Robot” on USA and Douglas Smith from HBO’s “Big Little Lies.”
Filming wrapped up in Derby City last year. A release date is TBD.
“Amber Alert”
Released in 2024, this thriller stars Hayden Panettiere from the TV series “Heroes” and Tyler James Williams from “Everybody Hates Chris.” It follows a woman and her ride-share driver, who spot a car allegedly involved with an Amber Alert.
The trailer alone will have you saying, “Hey, I know where that is!” It includes shots of Spaghetti Junction, the Mercer Building, West Main Street, and other local locales. We don’t know why the 911 operator appears to be in Lexington, though.
It’s streaming on Amazon Prime and Hulu.
Bonus: While Hollywood’s lens may be focusing on Louisville now, Louisville’s had a few minutes of fame before — including in the horror genre.
