Horror-thriller Film Will Be Shot at the Royal Oaks

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Samantha, a bartender, finds herself alone after closing time with a charming but ominous stranger.

As the wee hours of the morning go by, the stranger reveals his purpose to Samantha: He is there to kill her.

Because she can’t see outside the bar, she isn’t sure if the terrifying things the stranger has told her about the world are true. But she has a feeling he’s telling the truth.

That’s the premise of “The Awoken,” a tense horror-thriller that will be filmed at the Royal Oaks bar on Youngstown’s east side.

Shooting will take place from Aug. 22 to Sept. 5, during which time the bar will be closed.

After the production work is complete next year, producer Veronica Jones plans to enter it in film festivals. She hopes to get it accepted by a prestigious film festival such as Sundance or South by Southwest.

Jones and her husband live in southern California, but she grew up in Wickliffe, Ohio, east of Cleveland.

Because her film will be shot almost entirely inside a bar, she needed a perfect location.

She specifically wanted a quintessential dive bar, with character and an old-school atmosphere.

While scouting locations, she was told about the Royal Oaks from the film’s music director, Tony Sabelli, who is a native of Poland, Ohio.

She instantly loved the look of the bar and felt it would help tell the story.

“It has that genuine dive bar look and a lot of character as well,” Jones said. “Growing up in Ohio, it’s the kind of bar that comes to mind when I think of a bar. And then there is the fact that it’s enclosed, and you can’t see outside through the windows. Samantha is not sure of what’s happening outside [in the movie], so it’s perfect in that regard.”

Within minutes of setting foot inside the Oaks, Jones knew she found her location.

“Tony [Sabelli] said, ‘This is the place,’” Jones said. “And after chatting with [co-owners and brothers] John and Louie Kennedy, I felt it was meant to be.”

John Kennedy recalled the day Louie called him to say a filmmaker was in the bar. He quickly drove over to talk to her.

“The minute she said, ‘We want to use the Royal Oaks in the movie,’ I said, ‘I’m in,’” Kennedy said.

The building’s second floor will also be used in the film, he was told. “It’s creepy up there,” he said.

The Royal Oaks has long been a go-to spot for filmmakers and national media looking for a certain atmosphere.

It was the subject of an episode of the “Bar Rescue” TV series in 2015. But that’s not its only brush with fame.

“Since I’ve [co-owned the Oaks], I’ve had a New York film school student shoot her graduating master’s degree film here,” Kennedy said. “And [local filmmaker] Chris Rutushin shot a scene from his 2008 movie ‘Fine-Tune’ here.”

The bar was also used twice by CNN newsman Martin Savidge for 2016 election stories, and NPR did a live broadcast from the bar that same year.

The Royal Oaks’ commanding personality will be part of the film, said Jones, the filmmaker.

“You can feel and see the history there,” she said. “That’s something we looked for in other places. No place was like the Oaks. It would cost a small fortune to make another bar look like it.”

But the Royal Oaks won’t be the only local flavor in “The Awoken.”

Jones intends to insert a lot of Youngstown into her movie, including music by Ohio rock bands and product placements.

The Vindys will be seen performing their song “Bugs” at the bar early in the film before a crowd of regulars. And boxing champ Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini will make a cameo – along with his brand of bourbon.

Music director Sabelli has already received submissions from many regional bands and is sifting through the songs. The soundtrack will be assembled after the movie is complete, Jones said.

“I grew up in Ohio and had friends who were in bands,” she said. “It’s a great opportunity to promote Ohio music, especially The Vindys.”

Some backstory scenes will also be shot at Mill Creek Park and at South River Vineyard near Geneva, Ohio.

The film is being directed by Michael Thyer and was written by Danny Matier. Both are Australians.

The cast includes Suanny Serpas as Samantha and British actor Jamie Christofersen as Benjamin, the stranger.

Tom Budgen plays Lar, the bouncer, while Kevin Derkash and Sydney Leona Jones play the roles of Jimmy and Kel.

Budgen’s real-life alter ego is Malakai Black, a professional wrestler with All Elite Wrestling. “The Awoken” will be his film acting debut, Jones said, adding that he is a natural.

The film will also be the first American effort for Christoferson. Jones singled him out after seeing him in the British mystery series “Black Mirror” on Netflix.

The role of Benjamin felt like it should come with a British accent, she said.

“My husband and I were watching ‘Black Mirror’ one night and I said, ‘How about that guy?’ So I looked him up and contacted his agent, and he was in,” Jones said. “He is 6 foot 5 and very much has a scary presence.”

The stunt man will be Brian Schuley, and Jenna Jameison is the costumer. Both are Youngstown natives.

Alan Tuskes will handle visual effects.

A crowd of extras, who have already been selected from the Youngstown area, will be used in the scene in which The Vindys are performing.

But there is room for other pieces of the city.

“It will be very Youngstown,” Jones said. “I want people to see [things they recognize] and say, ‘Yeah!’”

In addition to Mancini’s bourbon, Jones intends to use a local beer and is in talks with some breweries.

She is open to more product placement inside the bar.

Business owners with a product they want to promote in the film can contact her at [email protected].

Items can include T-shirts or hoodies with logos from local teams, businesses or bars that will be worn by actors or extras.

It’s all part of her creative fundraising effort. “It’s an indie film with a mid-range budget,” she said.

So far, Jones has been pleased with the cooperation she has received in Youngstown.

Returning to Ohio has reminded her of how friendly the state is, she said.

“I always thought that is was a funny thing that, even though we’ve lived in Los Angeles for 15 years, people say that we are ‘smiley’ and ‘Midwest friendly,’” Jones said. “In going back to Ohio for this project, I see it. Everyone here is friendly and helpful, and it’s completely different from L.A., where everyone is too good to help.”

Thyer, the director, sensed it too.

“He was blown away,” Jones said. “He called it the perfect place to shoot this film.”

If all goes well, Jones could be returning to Youngstown in the future.

“We have two sequels planned and would shoot both of them in Youngstown,” she said.

Pictured at top: John Kennedy, co-owner of the Royal Oaks, stands behind the bar.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.