Did you know that there is a special screening of Deadline at the UA Galaxy Theatre Stadium this evening? No, no. Not the 2009 film starring Brittany Murphy and Thora Burch. This is the new Deadline, starring Eric Roberts and described as a “very strong Christian, redemptive worldview about the search for truth and justice.” So, yeah. You can get tickets to see the show here. There’s also a Q&A at the end with the film’s writer and director. Can’t wait that long for a Q&A? No problem. I chatted with Fort Worth native Lauren Jenkins for a little Q&A action.
Why is this movie premiering here? Is it premiering here?
No. We had a premiere in Nashville, which is where it was shot. After that, we had a Charlotte premiere. From here, we’re rolling the film out on a tour bus to 40 or 50 cities where we’ll have screenings. We’ll be doing Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, New Orleans, Florida—all the way up to New York. The tour goes through mid-April.
Wait. You’re going to be on a bus through mid-April?
No, I’m not going to be on it the whole time. I’m doing the first leg—three weeks. I don’t know if Eric [Roberts] is flying in for a few. It’s huge. I think there’s like 19 beds or something? It’ll be parked outside the theater [tonight]. Apparently, it’s wrapped in a huge movie poster. Anyway, it’ll be like being in a band except instead of doing a show, we’re showing a movie.
So what’s Deadline about?
It’s kind of a murder mystery about this kid who was murdered. In the film, the story takes place in Alabama and Tennessee, but in real life, it happened in North Carolina and South Carolina. His murder case goes unsolved for 19 years until my character finds out about it and gets these two reporters interested in the story.
I loved Eric Roberts’ performance in Celebrity Rehab. What’s he like in real life?
He was great. He’s really fun to work with. He was really fun and quirky and hilarious. He was also a good mentor for me.
So what’s the deal tonight?
Red carpet at 6. The screening starts at 7. Following the screening, there will be a Q&A.
