Corey Large is so high on Victoria that he's coming home to make a movie.
Large, 36, confirmed Tuesday that Kid Cannabis will roll here July 21. Directed by John Stockwell (Into the Blue, Turistas), the true-life drama inspired by a 2005 Rolling Stone article stars Kenny Wormald (Footloose) and Jonathan Daniel Brown (Project X) as Idaho teenagers who became millionaires after smuggling marijuana from B.C.
"It's a story that sells itself," says the Los Angeles-based producer, explaining why his Wingman Productions got on board. "It's Scarface meets Superbad."
Kid Cannabis is the first in a slate of three movies, including Old Man and Poker Night, the Victoria native and New York producer Gordon Bijelonic have decided to relocate here from Parry Sound, Ont., this year.
"I've always wanted to make movies here and I haven't for awhile," said Large, who made his 2005 comedy Window Theory here. "Everyone's supportive and from past experience, the crews are great."
The actor and filmmaker will also play a Peruvian hitman. Although tax incentives aren't as lucrative, he said the pluses outweigh the negatives.
"I kept thinking, 'It takes place in B.C., so why would I help Ontario?' " said Large.
The 24-day shoot will showcase forests and lakes around Victoria, including Prospect and Shawnigan lakes. The area will double as Nelson, B.C., and what Rolling Stone termed "a gorgeous but dull resort town" - Coeur D'Alene, Idaho.
Large and Alan Pao, his Wingman partner and cofounder of Tunnel Post, their Santa Monica postproduction company, have made several films together. They include Loaded, a thriller starring Jesse Metcalfe; Toxic, with Danny Trejo and Tom Sizemore, and Chasing Ghosts, a suspenser sold to Sony.
"I love that Corey's back to do another movie," said film commissioner Kathleen Gilbert, who hopes Large's decision encourages others. "I wish Atom [Egoyan] would do the same thing," she joked.
"We've been trying to entice him."
