Todd Phillips’ First Movie Led To A 20-Year Ban On Filming At The University Of Georgia – SlashFilm

Final yr, I had the nice fortune of visiting the set of Blumhouse’s upcoming horror film “The Girl within the Yard.” It occurred in a school city referred to as Athens, Georgia, about an hour away from Atlanta, give or take. What I anticipated to come across throughout that go to was some behind-the-scenes data of Jaume Collet-Serra’s return to the horror style. What I did not count on to find was how Todd Phillips was accountable for a close to-complete ban on filming on the University of Georgia that lasted greater than 20 years.

Phillips is finest often called the director of DC’s $1 billion smash hit “Joker” from 2019. Earlier than that, he was identified finest for his work in R-rated comedies like “The Hangover.” His first foray into the style was 2000’s “Outdated College,” which served as his characteristic directorial debut. He’d beforehand directed a documentary about Phish referred to as “Bittersweet Motel” and an unaired HBO documentary referred to as “Frat Home,” however this was his popping out social gathering as a filmmaker.

In the course of the set go to, we spent most of our time at Athena Studios, a then-newly constructed manufacturing facility simply exterior of Athens. “The Girl within the Yard” was one of many first main productions to make use of the ability. Talking with Joel Harber, the President and CEO of Athena Studios, he revealed that they’ve a superb relationship with the University of Georgia, which is basically on the coronary heart of Athens.

“By that relationship we have now an inroad to have the ability to get productions onto campus if wanted. In order that’s one thing that is been comparatively shut down for the final 20 years or so,” Harber defined to me and the opposite journalists in attendance. So, why was manufacturing shut down on campus for greater than 20 years, precisely? “Once I was at school there, there was a film referred to as ‘Street Journey’ that was filmed there,” He added. “Street Journey” was the wrongdoer.

For individuals who may have a refresher, “Street Journey” facilities on Josh (Breckin Meyer) who movies his affair with one other lady and unintentionally mails it to his girlfriend. After realizing his error, Josh and two of his school buddies head out on an 1,800-mile, debaucherous street journey from Ithaca, N.Y., to Austin, Texas, to save lots of his relationship.

Regardless of being Phillips’ first narrative characteristic, he had the backing of a serious studio in DreamWorks and an honest funds to work with. As Harber additional defined, he additionally had the complete cooperation of the University of Georgia:

“They have been like, ‘Yeah, certain, movie anyplace. If you wish to get within the stadium, you need to do that.’ They have been everywhere. The film got here out and evidently, the administration was probably not thrilled.”

The film was a success, one which spawned somewhat-seen DTV sequel titled “Street Journey: Beer Pong,” but it surely was additionally an R-rated, intercourse-stuffed, teen romp that is not precisely the form of factor a prestigious faculty usually desires to be related to. “I do not assume that gelled with the picture they needed to venture,” Harber stated. “So that they principally put up an iron gate and stated, ‘You may’t come out right here anymore.’ So there’s been little or no filmed on campus since then.”

Phillips went on to have a giant profession, most just lately directing “Joker: Folie a Deux,” which was a giant business bomb. Perhaps meaning he’ll return to R-rated comedies for a change of tempo. As for Harber and Athena Studios, they’ve truly been working with the University of Georgia to creating filming on the campus attainable once more by getting the college’s college students concerned immediately:

“We have been working with UGA to attempt to loosen that up. After which make a few of that filming about getting the scholars concerned and it is like, ‘Hey, you need to movie on campus? We’d like 20 headsets and college students in video village and we would like them to have the ability to be part of that.’ And so that is what’s taking place proper now.”

“The Girl within the Yard” hits theaters on March 28, 2025.