Morgan Freeman stars in movie filming in Canton

CANTON, Miss. (WLBT) - Cameras roll this week on another film in Canton with big name stars and strong ties to the state.

Morgan Freeman, Cole Hauser and Jaimie Alexander will begin work on a movie with talent on and off the screen born and bred here in the Magnolia State.

Canton again lures Hollywood to its quaint streets as the setting for the Lion’s Gate film “The Minute You Wake Up Dead.” The comedic noir thriller stars Morgan Freeman as the sheriff in the small town. He will be filming this week.

“I realized that he lived in Clarksdale, Mississippi, and everyone in my family’s from Mississippi,” said movie producer Andrew Stevens. “I was the only one born in Memphis as was Mr. Freeman, and it was just a natural fit, particularly because of the Mississippi state subsidies.”

Stevens is a Golden Globe-nominated actor and son of actress Stella Stevens from Yazoo City.

“The town of Canton, Mississippi, although we’re not calling it Canton, plays a big role in the film. So this was an ideal place to make this movie,” said Stevens.

Casting director and Canton native Matthew Morgan got his start in the industry as a production assistant and extra alongside Octavia Spencer in the movie “A Time To Kill.” He is still looking for extras for the film.

“I moved to Toronto, to Canada to be an actor,” said Morgan. “I left Mississippi to follow my dreams and ended up becoming a casting director there for probably 15 years, and then realized I could do what I love back home in Mississippi. As the industry really started thriving, I started coming back here.”

The film is packed with Mississippi star power on the screen and behind the scenes.

“We’re really trying to help build the industry, because I’m coming back here for other movies,” added Stevens. Filming wraps March 3.

If you are interested in being cast in one of Matthew Morgan’s films, click here.

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