American High has filmed 20 movies in Central New York over the past six years, but might get a change of scenery for its next project.
Deadline reports comedian Matt Rife will star in “Rolling Loud,” an upcoming movie that will be directed by American High founder Jeremy Garelick for the Liverpool-based film studio. The R-rated comedy will also be co-produced by Live Nation Productions, which partnered with Rife on his hugely successful stand-up comedy tour.
According to the synopsis, “Rolling Loud” is based on the true story of “an overprotective father who makes the worst parenting decision of his life when he sneaks his 13-year-old son into Rolling Loud, the world’s biggest hip-hop festival, setting off a chaotic adventure with his reckless co-worker and an eccentric festival volunteer as they navigate wild crowds, security, and their own family dynamics.”
Deadline reports “Rolling Loud” will shoot scenes at the upcoming hip-hop festival of the same name, set to take place Dec. 13-15 in Miami.
Garelick told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard that the rest of the film will be shot on a soundstage, but likely not in the Syracuse area. He was hoping to stay local, but said “there’s no stage here anymore” and is currently looking alternate sites in cities like Buffalo and Rochester.
Onondaga County recently sold the DeWitt film hub, also known as the Greater Syracuse Soundstage, that failed to live up to expectations of becoming a year-round movie production space. Swedish defense and aerospace company Saab Inc. bought the 52,000-square-foot building in March for $5.9 million and plans to use it for high-tech manufacturing.
There are five other soundstages still available in Central New York, but the next largest Qualified Production Facility (QPF) is The Oncenter in Syracuse, listed at nearly half the DeWitt hub’s size at 33,810 square feet. Syracuse Studios, the former A.V. Zogg Middle School and Liverpool high school where American High is headquartered, is also a QPF but is listed even smaller at 7,154 square feet.
By comparison, there are at least three QPFs in Western New York that are 50,000 or more square feet, including the 80,000-square-foot Buffalo FilmWorks that was used for “Nightmare Alley,” “A Quiet Place Part II,” and “The First Purge.” Films and TV shows that use a QPF are eligible for the New York state film tax credit, which is 35% for productions in Upstate New York (compared to 25% for movies and TV shows in New York City).
American High previously used the Greater Syracuse Soundstage for filming scenes but also used Syracuse Studios and other locations around Central New York. The teen comedy-focused production company has shot 20 movies over the past six years, bringing in notable actors like Charlie Day, Vince Vaughn, Pete Davidson, Sydney Sweeney, Patton Oswalt, Rainn Wilson, Danny Trejo, and Kevin James.
Rife’s star power will further elevate American High’s profile. He has 19 million followers on TikTok, has released multiple standup comedy specials (including two on Netflix), and has appeared on shows like “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “Fresh Off the Boat,” “That ‘90s Show,” and MTV’s “Wild ‘N Out.”
He’s become one of the most popular standup comedians, selling out more than 30 performances in Upstate New York over the past two years. In one 48-hour span, he sold more than 600,000 tickets for his “ProbleMATTic World Tour” and joined Taylor Swift as one of the few live acts to break Ticketmaster’s website due to high demand.
According to Deadline, Rife is planning a new world tour with Live Nation and aims to expand into feature films, including “Rolling Loud” and an upcoming “gym-set workplace comedy currently in development.”
Other cast members for “Rolling Loud” have not been announced. The movie is expected to be released next year, according to Deadline.
Garelick most recently directed “Murder Mystery 2,” the Netflix film starring Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston. His other credits include writing “The Break-Up” (also starring Aniston), directing titles like “The Wedding Ringer” and “The Binge,” and producing American High films like “Big Time Adolescence,” “Plan B,” “Crush,” “The Ultimate Playlist of Noise,” “Sex Appeal” and “It’s a Wonderful Binge.”
American High selling movie costumes worn by famous stars to benefit Liverpool film school
American High Shorts: Funny videos shot in CNY reach millions as Gen Z ‘SNL’
Ad Choices