Leaside director’s film scores big name stars

Leaside directorโ€™s film scores big name stars

MICHAEL MCGOWAN, A Leaside native, is living the Canadian dream by creating the Canadian dream. The award-winning director and writer of films such as Saint Ralph and One Week is filming a musical about a young Toronto boy who makes it big as a hockey player.
 

Score: A Hockey Musical stars Australian actress Olivia Newton-John, who shot to stardom as the lead in the Grease musical alongside John Travolta in 1978. But count on appearances from a number of well-known Toronto residents including Grammy Award-winning singer Nelly Furtado, George Stroumboulopoulos as an arena announcer and even acclaimed author Margaret Atwood in a singing role.
 

“It’s a Toronto story about a Toronto teenager who is home-schooled, and he’s a s—-y hockey player who gets discovered to be the next Sidney Crosby, basically,” said Rudolph Blahacek, director of photography for the film.
 

The movie was filmed in Toronto over February and March at locations including the Art Gallery of Ontario and Yonge-Dundas Square. Blahacek said Score: A Hockey Musical will be released Oct. 22 by Mongrel Media.

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