(Video above: ESPN interviewed Woodlawn co-director Andrew Erwin and actor Caleb Castille during a primetime football game 9/19.)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The upcoming film Woodlawn isn’t only making waves with football players and movie critics, but during a recent primetime SEC game ESPN commentators chimed in to rave about the movie.
During the South Carolina/Georgia game on Saturday Sept. 19, ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe interviewed the film’s co-director Andy Erwin and actor (and former Alabama player) Caleb Castille about Woodlawn, praising them individually as well as the movie as a whole.
“Well a lot of teams all over the country are watching this movie Woodlawn that comes out Oct. 16, but the cool thing is that this is our former camera man who was my guy down here on the sidelines for many years,” said Rowe.
Woodlawn, which hits theaters October 16th, is based on true events surrounding the 1974 Banks vs. Woodlawn High School football game at Birmingham’s Legion Field. It still holds the record for largest attendance at an Alabama high school football game. The film follows Woodlawn running back Tony Nathan’s recruitment by famed University of Alabama Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant during a period when the state was still embroiled in racial tensions.
The film aims to highlight faith and football through telling an inspiring, true story.
Football teams across the nation have been screening the movie early and getting inspiration from it. Caleb Castille, former player for University of Alabama and the lead role of Tony Nathan in the Woodlawn movie, watched the movie with the Alabama team and was “humbled” to get to experience their reaction.
“You know it was just such a humbling experience to see how these guys reacted to the film and just embraced me,” Castille said. “I call them my SEC family, and it was just an incredible response. They were so jacked up to see it, they actually put it on. The coaches didn’t ask for it or anything, it was the players. So that just felt great for me.”
ESPN commentator Brad Nessler then praised Castille’s talent, saying the actor is “brilliant” in the film, has “serious skills” and that “he’s on his way to being a star.”
After the interview, fellow commentator Todd Blackledge added, “It’s a fun film, I’ve seen it three times now and I still can’t wait for it to come out on Oct. 16.”
For more information about Woodlawn, go to woodlawnmovie.com.
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