A romantic comedy full of veteran stars and co-created by a local movie producer will hit theaters June 11.
“Queen Bees” stars Oscar-winner Ellen Burstyn (“Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore”) as a woman who temporarily moves into a retirement community and meets a wacky group of characters played by the likes of James Caan (“The Godfather”) and Jane Curtin (“3rd Rock from the Sun”).
The story is from the mind of Harrison Powell, a Sandy Springs resident who has co-produced several religious and “inspirational” movies in recent years. Back in 2018, when the movie was shooting at a retirement community in Duluth, Powell said the film is based on his wife’s grandmother, who “begrudgingly moved into a retirement community in Jacksonville.” She found it was like “high school all over again,” with cliques set in their ways. But then she fell in love and married.
Made under the now-changed working title of “Welcome to Pine Grove!”, the movie joined the entire Hollywood industry in hitting the pandemic roadblock. It’s getting a limited theatrical release — including at The Springs Cinema & Taphouse in Sandy Springs — and simultaneously streaming on demand.
“Definitely a wild time to release a film!” says Powell about the pandemic timing. “A lot to learn and I think a lot of consumer mindsets have shifted to more home entertainment.”
Other veteran stars in the film include Ann-Margret (“Grumpy Old Men”), Christopher Lloyd (“Back to the Future”) and Loretta Devine (“Waiting to Exhale”). Director Michael Lembeck previously helmed two of Disney’s “Santa Clause” movies and Dwayne Johnson’s “Tooth Fairy.”
For more about the movie, see queenbeesfilm.com.