Ever heard of Willow Valley, Alabama? Nope, we haven’t either.
This picturesque town might not be on the map, but it’s the setting for “Stars Fell on Alabama,” an indie move from Rareform Pictures.
The romantic comedy was filmed in 2019 in South Carolina, primarily in Beaufort and Bluffton. Those coastal towns are stand-ins for our state, as you’ll see a trailer released earlier this year.
Here’s a synopsis of “Stars Fell on Alabama” posted on IMDB: “Successful Hollywood agent Bryce Dixon is returning to Alabama for the first time in 15 years for his high school reunion. When he learns he’s the only one of his friends who isn’t married with children, he convinces his client, starlet Madison Belle, to pretend to be his girlfriend. But he soon learns that success has different meanings, and romance may be closer than he thinks.”
The movie, written by Robert Windom and directed by V.W. Scheich, reminds us of Reese Witherspoon’s 2002 movie “Sweet Home Alabama,” with a male protagonist instead of a female one.
The cast for “Stars Fell on Alabama” includes James Maslow, Ciara Hanna, Lesa Wilson, Zebedee Row, Johnnie Mack, Jaclyn Betham and more.
Those names might not mean much to you, but there’s a familiar face in the bunch: Alabama native Taylor Hicks. The singer, songwriter and 2006 “American Idol” winner plays himself in the movie, and can be seen on stage in the trailer, performing for a group of country line dancers.
Alabama native Taylor Hicks performs in the indie movie "Stars Fell on Alabama." Hicks says the South Carolina bar used for this dance scene reminded him of the Flora-Bama Lounge on the Florida-Alabama state line. The place also reminded Hicks of Judge Roy Bean, a former watering hole in Daphne. "It was an infamous bayou bar where you would have to perform around their pet goat," Hicks says.(Screenshot/"Stars Fell on Alabama" trailer)
There’s no release date yet for “Stars Fell on Alabama.”