A recent press release (reprinted just the way they received it in the Main Street Business Journal — “Enhancing Your Success in Business” in Southwest Utah) announced that Next Entertainment will build a major new film studio in Color Country’s Apple Valley.

For those readers who may not be familiar with the area, Apple Valley is just down the road from another spot that has been in the news a lot recently: Colorado City/Hildale. The press release, obviously written for Californicated readers, notes that the “picturesque” site “overlooks the majestic Zion National Park and the historic filming location of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.”

I have to admit, that side of the mountain can be just as beautiful as the other side, but it doesn’t overlook Grafton (where Butch Cassidy was filmed) and Zion Park is sort of “on the horizon”. The location is variously described as being “twenty minutes” (Main Street Business Journal) or “ten minutes” (downloadable press kit) from the St. George airport. Not if the Hurricane cops are on duty!

A more careful reading of the press release reveals an ambitious plan indeed. A film studio is only the beginning. In addition, the development will include …

• a destination resort
• a major (5 star!!) hotel with spa, restaurants, retail shops and an amphitheater
• an interactive imagination center
• golf courses (They made it plural in the press release.)
• single family homes
• a technology research center
• a Native American Cultural Center

… and …

• a Life Healing and Discovery Preserve

Pretty impressive! It would be even more impressive if I knew what half of that stuff actually was. But from flinty eyed capitalists to touchy-feely environmentalists, they seem to have all the bases covered. There’s something for everybody.

The inspirational example that they hold up is how Peter Jackson built a major film studio in New Zealand as part of the production of The Lord of the Rings. But Peter Jackson had New Line Cinema (Austin Powers) backing him with 300 million dollar deep pockets. I decided to check into Next Entertainment to see what they had done. It was a little confusing because there seems to be more than one film company with that name. But I believe they have done slasher films such as Hostel (Pretty girls murdered on vacation in Europe.), and a 2003 production of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. (One of two that year!) www.film-releases.com lists a total of five B movies. But they do seem to be a legit film company!

They’re also backed by Celerity Investments. That’s a South Jordan real estate company with aspirations to get into the movie business. For some insight there, check out the Salt Lake Tribune’s coverage of their “Celebrity Poker” game at Sundance this January.

Peter Jackson had J. R. R. Tolkien’s classic, The Lord of the Rings to work with. Next Entertainment has Mac Adamson’s The Mystical World of Nebe. “Who is Mac Adamson?” you ask. Good question. The Next Entertainment web page says he “walked away from a twenty-five year career in corporate America”. Ummm … he used to run a now out-of-business wireless Internet company called CogoLink Wireless in Midvale, Utah. But I can’t find a lot of other information.

As for Nebe’s world, the press kit only shows a cover for volume 1. The other two are shown as “coming soon” and I can’t find volume 1 for sale anywhere. On the other hand, Tolkien’s other job was professor of classical English at Oxford so anything’s possible.

They’re supposed to be starting production right now. Lee Steadman is the director and this seems to be his directorial debut. The Internet Movie Data Base shows that he’s been around films for a while, but most of his credits are as a location scout (mainly for Utah film shoots).

Seriously, I wish them the best of luck. It’s the kind of thing that could be a huge boost to Color Country if it works. For an optimistic view of their Dream, you might want to check out this review from BYU’s campus news.

I dunno about you, but this one will be fun to watch unfold … or fold up, as the case may be.