The film is written and directed by Adam Rifkin, whose previous credits include directingDetroit Rock Cityand penningMousehunt.
Rifkin is also a Burt Reynolds fan fromwayback.
When I was growing up in Chicago, Burt Reynolds was my hero, says the filmmaker.
He was the biggest movie star in the world.
He was funny, he was cool, he wasubiquitous.
To me, as a kid, I just thought he was the coolest guy.
Rifkin wroteThe Last Movie Star10 years ago, specifically as a project for theSmokey and the BanditandDeliverancestar.
I didnt know him.
I took a leap of faith and wrote the script on spec.
If he doesnt want to do it, Im not making the movie.
He was the biggest movie star in the world [but had] very public ups and downs.
His manager said, Ill send I to him, but I cant promise what hell say.
Burt does what he wants to do.
The next day, I get a call from my childhood hero, Burt Reynolds, which was mind-blowing.
When I recognized his voice, I was immediately starstruck.
I could hardly believe that I was actually speaking to him.
He said, Im in.
It took seven years to get funded, but Burt was very very patient the entire time.
He couldnt have been a more generous partner that way.
According to Rifkin, the shoot for the film was very much a dream fulfilled.
Theres a saying: never meet your heroes, because you will inevitably be disappointed, explains the director.
When he became famous, he sought out a lot of his own heroes from whenhewas young.
So, hes got stories that they told him and he remembers everything.
But of course we had to be professional.
The Last Movie StarcostarsModern Familyactress Ariel Winter as the reluctant chauffeur of Reynolds character.
Ariel Winter fit the bill perfectly.
Shes an industry veteran, having grown up onModern Family.
Time will always win in the end.
And what did Rifkins idol think of the finished film?
He saw it for the first time at the premiere at the Tribeca Film festival, says Rifkin.
He said he cried like a baby watching it.
But he did, and he loved it.
The Last Movie Staris a DIRECTV/A24 release.
The film is now available to watch on DIRECTV and is released in theaters, March 30.
Watch the trailer for theThe Last Movie Starbelow and an exclusive clip from the film, above.
The Last Movie Starwill be released in New York and Los Angeles, March 30.
