The film Gettysburg 1863 premiered to a sold-out audience Wednesday at the Majestic Theater. Supporters and cast members joined an opening reception and a question-and-answer session after the screening of the Civil War drama, which follows Gettysburg residents whose homes and families were caught in the fighting.
Actor and filmmaker Bo Brinkman wrote and directed the film from an idea by Kris Webb, a longtime Gettysburg resident and local business owner who co-produced it. Webb wanted to tell the story of what happened to the people who lived in town when the armies arrived.
“Hell had come to their doorstep,” Webb said. “They were changed forever. I felt their story needed to be told.”
Eric Nelsen plays Thomas McClean, a young man who leaves Gettysburg to join the cavalry. When Confederate troops enter the town, Hannah Kelly, played by Hannah Galway, and her family are caught in the fighting. The cast also includes Stephen Lang as John Burns, Bruce Boxleitner as Samuel Schmucker and Alfonso Freeman as Basil Biggs.
Much of the film was shot in Gettysburg, with local residents appearing as extras. The crew wrapped filming in nearby Orrtanna on May 30, shooting the film’s opening scene, in which Thomas and Hannah say goodbye. Brinkman and Webb, partners in life and business, co-founded the Gettysburg Film Commission to encourage more filmmakers to work in the area.
“It’s a filmmaker’s dream,” Brinkman said of making movies in Gettysburg.
A Nov. 12 community premiere at R/C Gateway Theater also sold out, along with the Majestic’s five Nov. 13–17 screenings. The Majestic added eight $15 screenings for Nov. 21–24. Showtimes and tickets.
