“Wild” Set to Film Throughout Oregon in October

Film stars Reese Witherspoon with Jean-Marc Valée directing

A few months back it was announced that Portland based author Cheryl Strayed’s successful memoir “Wild” was being made into a feature film with Fox Searchlight producing and distributing the film.  Reese Witherspoon’s company Pacific Standard originally optioned the theatrical rights.  Acclaimed director Jean-Marc Vallée (recently directed “Dallas Buyers Club) is directing.  Now with just a few weeks to go before principal photography, it appears that the film will cover more parts of Oregon than any other project of recent memory.

 It makes sense that the film will shoot throughout the state since the film cover’s Cheryl’s trek on the Pacific Crest Trail.  In 1995, Strayed began her journey in Mojave, CA and finished at the Bridge of the Gods in the Columbia Gorge.  Along the way she spent a bit of time in Ashland, stopped by Crater Lake, Three Sisters National Forest, Timberline Lodge, and ended up in Cascade Locks by the Bridge of the Gods.  It will be great to see some of these iconic Oregon locations on the big screen and we can’t wait to see what other parts of the state the production uses for the other scenes on the trail.

Last week a few more details were leaked about the film.  Thomas Sadoski of HBO’s “Newsroom” is in final talks to play a part and even Cheryl Strayed posted a photo on Facebook of Reese in her anorak from the trail. 

“Wild” is the first new project to come to Oregon since Governor Kitzhaber called for an expansion of the Oregon Production Investment Fund (OPIF), and since the legislature passed HB 3367 to expand OPIF to $10million.  It’s fitting that this first new project will feature our greatest asset – Oregon’s beautiful and diverse landscapes.

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