For the July edition of The Scribe’s Indie Film Spotlight, I present The Ride to Nowhere. Directed and written by Toledo native Anthony Wright, The Ride to Nowhere is an upcoming feature-length indie drama filmed in the Toledo area. A young man named Jimmy and his buddy Zak embark on a road trip to visit an old crush. I interviewed Anthony to learn more about him and his upcoming film.
What was the inspiration behind the story and these characters?
Growing up, I loved coming of age movies. Superbad, Stand By Me, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off are just a few to name. Seeing characters from those movies face larger than life situations had me on the edge of my seat. They made me gasp, laugh, and cry. It was such a thrilling experience! These movies also inspired me to reflect on similar experiences in my life, when something totally came out of left field and had me in total disbelief, but also which I grew from as well!
How did you go about casting the lead roles of Jimmy and Zak?
I knew that these two roles were incredibly important. I reached out to Ben Kunec, A University of Toledo theatre student who was willing to dive more into acting in front of the camera. He landed the role of Jimmy, a young pizza delivery man whose passion for playing guitar has slipped away. This was my first time working with Ben, and I hope to work with him again in the future! Zak, Jimmy’s best friend and drone enthusiast, was played by the talented Youseff Baddar. Youseff and I have been collaborating since 2017, and it’s safe to say he brings his A game to every project we work on together. Ben and Youseff had remarkable on set chemistry. It was so much fun seeing these two energetically interact with each other.
What were some of the biggest challenges in filming on location for a road trip movie?
Since we stuck around the 419 Area for most of shooting, I wanted to include areas that weren’t too recognizable. For instance, I didn’t want to shoot any scenes with the Toledo Skyline in the background, or the University of Toledo’s Bell tower in any of the scenes when the characters were on the road. I felt like those locations would’ve been too recognizable. Instead, I wanted to include all of the hidden gems such as the deep reaches of the Oak Openings region, and The Geekeasy Pinball bar beneath the Distillery.
What was it like filming on the road at all the different locations?
It was exciting! A family friend was generous enough to let us use their barn all the way out in Elmore, Ohio. Despite the rain delay from that day, it was a thrilling shoot!
How much did the script evolve over various drafts in terms of plot, characters, etc.?
It was exciting getting to write compelling characters. Not just the main characters, but the side characters as well. For instance, Ricky, a greaser looking thug played masterfully by the talented Liam Anderson, was given an extra scene after filming originally wrapped in June of 2023. After watching the 3 scenes involving his character, I thought to myself “Wow…I want to see more of this guy!” So in October, my buddy Jarrett and I got together to brainstorm, and we came up with a fun idea. After the outline for this extra scene was written, I ran the idea by Liam, and he loved it! We reached out to Alyssa Mullins, another talented actor based in the area, and she agreed! We shot the new scene on a rainy November day at Howard’s Bar in Bowling Green. I walked away from that shoot with a giant smile on my face! Liam and Alyssa knocked it outta the ballpark!
When will the movie release in theaters, and where can we see it at?
The Ride to Nowhere will be making its Toledo debut on October 18th, at the Imagination Station! After that, we are considering having another local screening for those who can’t make it. After it’s film festival run comes to an end, we want to find a streaming service to stream the movie.
How long have you been directing films, and what got you into directing?
I’ve been directing films since I was 10 years old. Before then, My cousin, Patrick McCarty (AKA Guy in the 419) included me in a bunch of his comedy sketches.
Do you major inspiration from any other directors?
One of my favorite directors of all time is Vince Gilligan. He does a remarkable job with world building, and bringing the best performances out of his actors. Breaking Bad is easily in my top 5 favorite shows of all time!
If you could urge our readers to see just one movie, what would it be?
The Sandlot. It has something in it for everyone. “You’re Killing me smalls!” Where did the initial idea or inspiration come from for this story? After I wrapped up editing my last film Monarch, I went into 2022 with a clean slate. I thought to myself “Hmmmm….well I’ve always wanted to tell a coming of age story.” One of my favorite coming of age films of all time is Stand By Me, (Rest in Peace River Phoenix). It inspired me because it had dramatic moments, and also plenty of comedic ones as well. Like the characters from Rob Reiner’s classic picture, the characters in The Ride To Nowhere discover more about themselves throughout their journey.
What do you hope that audiences take away from this film? Is there an overarching message?
My goal was to create something that was both exciting and enlightening for the audience. Seeing these talented actors bring their characters to life on the big screen has been such a delight. I feel as if the audience will be able to relate to these characters along with the situations they’re thrown into unexpectedly. Hopefully, they will engage in the frustrations, humor, and other emotions throughout the film.
We thank Anthony for allowing us to interview him and share the details of his upcoming movie with us! I am also very excited to have yet another movie be filmed in my hometown of Toledo, and not only that, but also be released on my birthday (October 18th.) Keep up to date with Anthony and his future films by following him on social media, @anthony_wright_films on Instagram.