A Sylvan Lake author will see one of her books take to the screens.
Coming Home to You, the third book in a series, is being turned into a made-for-TV movie as filming runs wraps up in Newmarket, Ont.
Moira (M. K.) Stelmack said her book becoming a movie was never something she had imagined.
“First I heard about it was an email from my editor who told me that my book was going to be made into a movie and I just sort of, I stared at that emailed wondering if I had been spammed,” laughed Stelmack, who received the email back in February.
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Since then fans, family and well-wishers have been trying to convince her it is actually happening.
“I’d say I’ve just sort of been in a mild state of shock, of very pleasant shock, so actually being on the set it was slightly overwhelming,” said Stelmack .
Stelmack was on set for a couple of days, Aug. 13-14, to observe. The movie, which is being filmed by Brian Power Studio, started shooting at the beginning of the month and will wrap up this week.
“I liken it to an out of body experience because I was watching a story a story come to life that had been in my mind for so long,” she added.
While on set Stelmack says she sat behind the director, Justin Dyck, and his assistance to see the film from his perspective.
“They certainly have rules on the set on where you have to be, and what can be shown and not shown, so I was very much an observer,” said Stelmack, “but they made me feel very welcome there and the female lead and I chatted about her character.”
The main characters are being portrayed by Getenesh Berhe and Hendersen Wade. Berhe has been appearances on shows such as Kim’s Convenience, while Hendersen has been in Riverdale and the DC Universe’s Swamp Thing.
Stelmack explained some changes were made in order to translate the story to screen.
For example, the setting from her fictional Spirit Lake to a location in the United States, as well as the age of her main characters, which had been dropped by a couple of decades.
“Because they are from a different generation they have different objectives, career objectives,” Stelmack said of the film adaptation’s story line.
As of now the film will be carrying the same title as the book, Coming Home to You, but that decision hasn’t been finalized.
“There was points when it sort of hit home for me, when I saw the slate with the title of my book on it I had shivers,” said Stelmack. “At that point it felt very, very real that the only reason that the title of my book was on a movie slate was because they were filming it.”
There is no release date for the movie yet as it still needs to go through editing, but Stelmack is planning to have a big release party for the premiere.
In Canada viewers will be able to watch the movie on the Super Channel. It will also premiere in the United States on UPtv, as well as in France.
Coming Home to You, as well as the other books in the series, are available at the Sylvan Lake Municipal Library.
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