Filmmakers Levi Harris and Cole Squires want to tell you a story.
Harris, who grew up in Redmesa and now splits his time between here and Utah, said he wanted to make a movie about imagination, but it wasn’t until he started working with his partner, Cole Squires, that “The Thunderbird” really started to take shape.
“I knew I wanted to make something that was magical, something that involved imagination and something that was kind of pushing the boundaries of what’s real and what’s not,” Harris said. “One day, the idea just popped in. I was like, ‘You know what? I really want this to be about an autistic kid. I want to make it, not just about imagination, but that specific kind of imagination and wonder and specific point of view that somebody on the spectrum would have.’”
At this point, he decided that he wanted to cast mainly actors on the autistic spectrum, something that is still relatively rare in the television and film industry.
He said the industry is starting to open up when it comes to storylines and casting; something he wasn’t aware of until he started research for “The Thunderbird.” Shows such as “The Good Doctor” and “Atypical” are beginning to address autism. In fact, an episode of “The Good Doctor” featured actor Coby Bird as a guest star. Bird was diagnosed with autism at age 5.
“That was revolutionary; everybody was loving it,” Harris said.
“The Thunderbird” tells the story of Noah, a young boy who is lost in the woods. Viewers watch him not only navigate the forest, but with his imagination, he travels through a magical forest with his best friend who is a werewolf. Along their journey, they run into all kinds of creatures – trolls, monsters, pirates and more.
According to the film’s Kickstarter page, “The Thunderbird” will be made up of what Harris and Squires call “experimental dialogue.” The script will be partially improvised, giving actors the opportunity to just be themselves.
Harris said he and Squires were surprised at the response they got when they held auditions, the process of which was a little different than a usual tryout.
“Instead of bringing the kids in and just doing improvised scenes with them, we just told them to be themselves,” he said. “It was incredible. It was super, super cool, and we said, ‘This is what we have to do. This is what the movie has to be.’”
About 20 children and adults have been cast so far, Harris said.
Now, it’s a matter of finding funding, Harris said. The film’s Kickstarter campaign has about a week left, and Harris said he has a producer, who is trying to get other investors.
Filming locations will depend on that funding, Harris said, adding that they’d like to film in multiple locations and have already scouted the Pacific Northwest because the forests fit with the movie’s storyline.
He also has another place in mind: “I’d love to film here, close to home.”
“The Thunderbird” also has a bigger message than just what’s in the script, Harris said. It’s about understanding people who may be different than you.
“I have always believed that we need to move as a society to share true art with each other. And true art will always portray things in ways that people haven’t seen before to raise understanding and awareness,” he said.
“With this movie, hopefully, somebody will understand much better what it’s like; not just the struggles of life, but the imagination and how this person sees the world and just imagination in general because we need more of that. My goal is that if somebody sees the movie, they will feel powerfully impacted.”
katie@durangoherald.com
On the net
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