‘The Forgotten Carols’ returning to eastern Idaho on the big screen this year due to COVID-19
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The following is a news release from “The Forgotten Carols” publicity team.
IDAHO FALLS – Michael McLean, in partnership with Purdie Distribution, announced Monday that the film adaptation of “The Forgotten Carols” will open in movie theaters on Friday, November 20.
The musical production will forego its usual stage performances due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but to keep the nearly three-decade-long Holiday tradition alive, Michael McLean and the cast and crew worked non-stop earlier this year to produce a big-screen adaptation of the musical to release this holiday season in Megaplex and select Cinemark theaters.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to partner with Michael on bringing ‘The Forgotten Carols’ from stage to screen,” says Brandon Purdie, president and founder of Purdie Distribution, the company behind the film’s production. “’The Forgotten Carols’ film will allow this joyful tradition to continue for current fans and I believe it will make many new fans as well.”
Purdie Distribution has been the distributor of the most successful LDS-genre films of the past decade, including “Saints & Soldiers,” “The Saratov Approach,” “Once I was a Beehive” and “The Fighting Preacher,” to name just a
few.
Years ago, McLean and his son, Scott, had been working on adapting the stage version of “The Forgotten Carols” as a feature film, and it was this process that inspired changes to the stage production which were implemented during last year’s tour.
“After Scott and I wrote the screenplay for the film, there were so many elements we fell in love with that are now included in the stage version,” said McLean. “And the changes we’ve made just feel right. They make the
characters deeper, the story more spiritual, and the experience that much richer.”
The production was staged and filmed in September in Iron County, Utah.
“To produce a high-quality film version of this beloved show during a pandemic was no small undertaking,” said Julie Ahlander, Producer. “We were absolutely thrilled to be able to produce the show in Utah – home to many of our cast and crew, including the writer and star of the show, Michael McLean. Many thanks to the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and the Utah Film Commission for its support through the Community Incentive Film Program. This support, along with investment money, has made the filming of this production possible.”
Now, perhaps more than ever, the timely messages of joy and hope from this beloved show are very much needed. And, for those who can’t imagine a Christmas without seeing “The Forgotten Carols” live and on the stage, McLean and the producers are emphatic when they insist,
“We will return to the stage in 2021 to present ‘The Forgotten Carols’ during the extended 30th Anniversary Live tour.”
“The Forgotten Carols” will be shown at the Paramount Theatre in Idaho Falls and the Blackfoot Movie Mill. Click here to purchase tickets. Tickets are also available at Fat Cats and Paramount 5 in Rexburg.
