When I was a little girl, one of my favorite shows was “The Dukes of Hazzard.” Like any good “Dukes” fan, I’ve gleefully repressed the Coy and Vance years, mostly to focus on the good clean fun of watching Bo and Luke Duke foil the corrupt mayor and become the secret justice-seekers in their county.
It’s no surprise, then, that I’d follow the post-Hazzard careers of the actors with some interest, which makes this news about John Schneider’s next feature film most unusual.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Schneider who left the show “Smallville” after its 100th episode will be starring in a movie called Doonby; the plot goes like this:
In the feature film, John Schneider stars as Sam Doonby, a happy-go-lucky drifter who takes up residence in a small Texas town but seems suspiciously immune to the misfortunes that beset the other townsfolk.
Reporter Paul Bond adds that the film will take elements from It’s a Wonderful Life and Crazy Heart to create something new; however, what it really sounds like to me what they’re doing is more in line with Being There.
Doonby will be directed by British filmmaker Peter Mackenzie, who also wrote the script, and Robert Davi will be playing the town’s sherrif. A quick search to see what other films Mackenzie had worked on brought me to the film’s website and I have to admit that based on its unsophistication, I wonder exactly how low-budget this production will be (or if that’s even the movie’s real website).
Filming will take place at Spiderwood Studios near Austin, Texas.