Want to Spot Stars?—Head to Corsicana, Texas

The rural city of Corsicana, population 25,000 and about 45 minutes south of Dallas, is ready for its Hollywood close-up. Warning Shot, a movie filmed on location in Corsicana with an all-star cast opened mid-September and is keeping viewers on the edge of their seats.

Inspired by true events, the movie features David Spade, Tammy Blanchard, Guillermo Diaz and Dwight Henry, along with screen legends James Earl Jones, Bruce Dern and Frank Whaley in supporting roles. Warning Shot is the story of a mother trying to protect her daughter while caught in a generations-old cutthroat business rivalry involving water rights. Blanchard plays a single mother with a daughter played by Onata Aprile who struggle to make ends meet until they inherit a farmhouse and 80 acres from family. Noteworthy is this is David Spade’s first dramatic role. Other cast members include Steve Eastin, Niki Koss and Dustie Hale. The movie was produced and directed by Dustin Fairbanks and co-produced by Spero Stamboulis and Will Wallace. Warning Shot was written by Breanne Mattson.

Most of the scenes, including of the farmhouse and historic downtown, were filmed in and around Corsicana but the bigger story is how Corsicana is featured in the movie.  Robert Johnson, an actor, producer and writer with more than 70 appearances and projects is the driving force in bringing motion pictures to Corsicana. Doubling as the city’s Chief of Police in real life, Johnson has garnered credits in several Hollywood movies and television shows in the last two years, earning the city the nickname “Hollycana” in production circles for its film-friendly facades and small-town hospitality. Johnson worked as Associate Producer and appeared in the film. He prides himself on insisting the name of the city be included in projects and touts the economic impact of films such as Warning Shot for businesses in town.

Corsicana was established in 1848 to serve as the seat of government for Navarro County, which the first Texas legislature had created two years earlier. The county was named after Jose Antonio Navarro, a Texas patriot. When asked what the new town should be called, Navarro replied, “Call it Corsicana after the island of Corsica, the birthplace of my father.” Interestingly, Lyman T. Davis first delivered his famous chili in downtown Corsicana in 1895. He started canning his chili in 1921 and named it “Wolf Brand” after his pet wolf. A picture of the wolf is still found on the label to this day.

“Filming in Corsicana is like going to the town you grew up in where everyone is inviting, embracing and supportive like good friends and family,” said producer Spero Stamboulis.

To view the movie trailer and photo gallery, click here: https://www.warningshotthemovie.com/photo-gallery/

Photos courtesy TravMedia