ShowBizzBuzz: Director John Asher Casts Rescue Dog to Star in Movie ‘Rescue Me’
ShowBizzBuzz = Entertainment News…here’s the latest:
Who is Buzzworthy?
Director John Asher casts his own rescue dog Roger, a Chihuahua / Jack Russell Terrier mix, to star in the leading role of the upcoming family movie, Rescue Me, one dog’s journey to find a family. It will begin shooting in summer 2020 and a crowdfunding campaign is currently underway (http://RescueMeTheMovie.com)
What is Rescue Me about?
The story is described as: centering around a stray dog living in San Francisco who takes an unexpected journey down the California coast to find a family
How did Roger get the acting job?
Rescue Me will actually be the second movie role for Roger. John first discovered his pup’s skills while directing Tom Everet Scott and Tituss Burgess in the movie, I Hate Kids. He auditioned numerous trained actor dogs, but Roger took the direction better than any other — he was a natural star.
Where did John Asher find the inspiration for Rescue Me?
After casting him in I Hate Kids, John began wondering ‘What was Roger’s life before I found him?’ It’s a question that many rescuers often think about and led John to write the original screenplay.
Why does John Asher want to make Rescue Me?
John hopes the film will attract attention to the more than 3.6 million dogs in living in shelters in the U.S., with over 600,000 being euthanized each year. Taking the issue a step further, a portion of the film’s proceeds will be donated to shelter organizations across America.
“You know what they say, ‘You don’t pick your dog, they pick you!’ Roger definitely picked me and he has rewarded me with unconditional love and happiness. He’s the reason I want to make Rescue Me. I think by making this movie I can repay some of that love to all the rescue animals out there. Furthermore, I only want to use rescue dogs and rescue animals in the film,” explains John.
What is John Asher’s background?
John is an award-winning writer/director started his professional career as an actor, starring on the television show Weird Science. Since moving behind the camera, he has directed some Hollywood heavyweights, including 2-time Academy Award winner Hilary Swank in the crime-thriller Kounterfeit; Kirk Douglas, Dan Aykroyd, and Lauren Bacall in the Miramax comedy Diamonds; Tom Everet Scott and Tituss Burgess in I Hate Kids; and Margaret Cho in the comedy spoof Tooken. His indie films also include the Sundance Festival premiere Dirty Love, comedy Chick Flick, and the first ever ‘one-shot’ feature length comedy, Somebody Marry Me, which earned several awards on the festival circuit.
It was in 2016, John used his talents to raise awareness by directing the inspiring drama, A Boy Called Po, about a family’s journey with autism and the inner odyssey of a child’s mind. John is the parent of an autistic child, so the project had a profound importance for the autism community.
Want to keep up with Rescue Me?
Visit the website at: RescueMeTheMovie.com
