Starting the New Year off right for much needed feature production will be a film from indie feature queen, producer Effie T. Brown. Come January she will be in Chicago to shoot “Red Bird,” directed by Jon Avnet and written by the novelist Fanny Flagg.
“It’s a follow up to Flagg’s ?Fried Green Tomatoes,'” Brown told the Reel.
“We’re basically doing the contracts now and casting, so I can’t say anything more about it. Buy we are definitely going to be shooting in Chicago and Atlanta.”
Avnet produced and directed the original, multi-honored 1991 “Green Fried Tomatoes,” starring Kathy Bates and featuring a very young Chris O’Donnell, which novelist Fanny Flagg adapted for the screen from her novel, “Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop.”
The movie was financially successful and immensely popular, scoring four awards from BAFTA, BMI Film & TV, Casting Society of America and GLADD from among 13 nominations.
Avnet (“Righteous Kill”) is no stranger to Chicago, although it’s been quite a while since he last made a picture here. In 1983 he produced the Tom Cruise starrer, “Risky Business,” on the North Shore.
He returned in 1990 as producer and second unit director on “Men Don’t Leave,” starring Jessica Lange and favorites Kathy Bates and Chris O’Donnell.
One of Brown’s major indie features out of the 15 that she’s produced over the last 18 years was “Real Women have Curves,” America Ferrera’s first breakout major role.
