Actor Cary Elwes takes directions between scenes of the movie "A Bit of Bad Luck," a film being shot in Morton until Oct. 10.
MORTON — Actor Cary Elwes, famous for his role as Westley in the 1987 hit “The Princess Bride,” took a seat in the Bucksnort Pub Friday afternoon to shoot another scene for his latest movie, “A Bit of Bad Luck.”
Elwes, 49, is joined by Teri Polo, 43, known for her role as Ben Stiller's wife-to-be in “Meet the Parents” and its sequels, and actress Agnes Bruckner, 22, who as an 11-year-old had a regular part on the soap opera “The Bold and the Beautiful.”
The film crew, made up of about 60 people, came to Morton Sept. 19 and will stay until Oct. 10.
Elwes plays Brooks, a down-and-out character who continues to suffer after his wife finds out he is planning a weekend getaway with his mistress. The film is billed on the Deadline Hollywood website as “a tale of betrayal and revenge.”
Friday’s shooting focused on an exchange as tension builds about Brooks’ activities in the fictional town of Creechville.
“Well, maybe he just decided to move on,” Elwes, acting as Brooks, said about a biker to fellow actor Peter Anthony Jacobs, playing Walt Porter.
With the film crew rolling and lights shining on his face, Elwes tried the line again with a different inflection. The crew spent all day Friday working on the bar scene.
Marshall Bell, 70, who acted in “Total Recall” and “Stand By Me,” also stars in the film.
Executive Producer Polina Zaika said the main actors, all from Los Angeles, have been enjoying the nature around Morton so much that some have talked about buying cabins to come back to after they leave.
Zaika, a Russian native who lives in Seattle, said the actors have been staying at the Seasons Motel in Morton while the crew is staying in cabins around Mayfield Lake.
Along with the four main characters and 30 other professional actors from around the Northwest, Zaika said, the film has relied on more than 100 extras who have volunteered their time.
Vanessa Nixon-Klein, Mossyrock, volunteered as an extra on Friday and said it is interesting to see behind the scenes of a film production.
Despite having to wait around between scenes, Nixon-Klein said being an extra is an entertaining experience, especially when she had the chance to met Elwes.
“‘The Princess Bride’ is one of my favorite movies since the 1980s,” Nixon-Klein said.
More than 100 extras came out on Wednesday for a mob scene at the Jubilee Arena.
“We can’t make the film without them,” Production Assistant Joshua Larsen, who is in charge of the background and extras, said. “They create the mood and feel, which is critical to the story.”
The Seattle-based production company, A Bit of Bad Luck, LLC, will continue shooting over the weekend with scenes in the Morton jail.
No release date has been set for the independent movie, Producer Mykel Denis said, but it should be ready in time for various film festivals next year.
About the Film
“A Bit of Bad Luck,” currently being filmed in Morton, is billed as a dark comedy about a socialite, played by Teri Polo, who discovers that her husband has planned a weekend getaway with his lover, and aims to make him suffer, according to deadline.com.
Brooks, played by Cary Elwes, is the kept and promiscuous spouse who has no idea what is about to happen.
“Brooks is a man who has it all — wealth, success, a beautiful wife, as well as a cavalier sense of entitlement. Karma is about to bite Brooks on the butt,” the film’s Facebook page says.
