A new Nashville-centered movie is releasing in February, and it’s already stirring conversation in Music City.
The drama, titled “The Neon Highway,” follows a singer-songwriter embarking on his dream. And though the movie is all-things-Nashville, it was filmed entirely in Georgia.
The film stars Beau Bridges, Rob Mayes and country musicians Lee Brice and Pam Tillis. “The Neon Highway” was directed by William Wages — of “Yellowstone” and “Into The West”— and written by Wages and Phillip Bellury.
According to movie streaming platform Plex, the film will be available for streaming on February 27.
According to IMDB, the movie follows Wayne (Mayes), a singer-songwriter that was a heartbeat away from making it in Nashville 20 years ago before a car crash interrupted his dream.
“Now a working man struggling to support his family, he chances to meet the washed-up country music legend, Claude Allen (Bridges). Wayne rekindles the dream in Claude, so together they go to Nashville with one of Wayne’s songs, believing that with Claude’s fame and contacts, they can make a deal,” IMDB’s summary says.
“Problem is, the industry has changed, and no one is interested in the song, and especially Claude. They are devastated and out of options until Wayne figures out a way to outsmart the system and get the song out to the public, not for himself, but for Claude.”
Bridges, who plays country singer Claude Allen, told WTVY, “I didn’t know that at age 79 I would be stepping into a recording studio with some of the best country and western music singers around and playing the part of a country and western music star,” he said.
“I guess, I sing and play the guitar. I’ve always loved music as a hobby.”
Alongside Bridges, IMDB lists other cast members as Sam Hennings, T.J. Power, Jennifer Bowles, Sandra Lee-Oian Thomas, Wilbur Fitzgerald and Brett Gentile.
The original theme song, “Neon Highway,” was written by Nashville songwriter, Dallas Davidson.
Movie trailer stirs Reddit responses
A movie trailer shows Mayes asking Bridges, “Is my song any good?” He responds, “Sure, I just made it better. Imma take it to Nashville.”
The trailer depicts Mayes heading to Nashville, fueled by a dream to make it in the music industry. It shows musicians in a studio, cowboy hats, bar performances, a car accident and “righteous” guitars.
The movie’s trailer was posted on a Nashville Reddit thread on Jan. 3, quick to gather comments on the film’s teaser.
Some commenters mention the car accident in the movie, noting that Nashville’s dangerous drivers are plaguing the city. “Most accurate part is the car accident by far,” one commenter said.
Others draw on the accuracies or inaccuracies of Nashville’s portrayal in film and TV. “Most of these ‘Nashville’ shows and movies are just a joke,” one reddit user said, adding that fake accents, black cowboy hats and “constantly writing songs” is not a holistic view of the city.
Perhaps the most visible depiction of Nashville on screen was ABC’s primetime drama “Nashville,” which ran for six seasons from 2012 to 2018, starring Connie Britton, Hayden Panettiere and Charles Esten.
The show, which premiered over a decade ago, “captured a pivotal point in the city’s growth and helped usher in a boom in tourism and transplants.” The twists and turns of the plot followed up-and-coming singer-songwriters and established country stars, performing at Nashville venues from The Bluebird Cafe to the Ryman Auditorium.
The consensus seems to be that Nashville is often portrayed as the “came here for a dream” city on the silver screen, noting that movies drawing on a particular sense of place, like cities New Orleans, New York or San Francisco, may not felt accurately reflected by the area’s residents.
One commenter notes that “The Neon Highway” was not filmed in Georgia, not Nashville.
Why was ‘The Neon Highway’ filmed in Georgia?
According to the movie’s website, “The Neon Highway” was shot entirely in Georgia. On the bottom of webpage, a link offers more information about the Peach State’s film industry at ExploreGeorgia.org.
Georgia Entertainment wrote that “The Neon Highway” was filmed entirely in Columbus, Pine Mountain and Hamilton, GA, according to a press conference held in 2021. The movie wrapped filming in 2021.
Beloved producer and Savannah-based ice cream shop owner Stratton Leopold took his Georgia ties from Savannah to Columbus to assist in the movie’s production, planning to combine his love for film and sweets again to open a Leopold’s Ice Cream in Columbus.
The question on everyone’s mind, though, is why would a Nashville movie be filmed in Georgia?
Georgia’s competitive film tax incentives draw movie-makers from all over the globe, competing with film industry titan cities like New York and Los Angeles. Movies like “Forrest Gump” and “The Longest Yard” were filmed in Georgia, in part due to the state’s ability to stand in for many other locations, from its beached to cities and small towns.
The lucrative film tax credits are currently capless, offering a flat tax credit of 20%, or even an additional 10% credit for putting promotional Georgia logos into their films.
