Disney movie on former Clemson player set to debut. Here are the details, trailer
Film producer Mark Ciardi has had the rights to former Clemson player Ray Ray McElrathbey’s story for more than a decade.
After spending 13 years coming up with ideas for a movie and developing a script, the film is finally ready to debut.
“Safety” — which will be released on Disney+ on Dec. 11 — is about the life of McElrathbey, who was playing for the Tigers in 2006 when his mom entered rehab for drug addiction. McElrathbey sought and was granted custody of his younger brother Fahmarr, keeping the 11-year-old from entering foster care.
McElrathbey was able to raise and care for his younger brother, thanks in part to Clemson and the community.
“I’ve known Ray a long time, and when we first got the rights we developed it at another studio. We came close to making it but ultimately we never had the opportunity to do that. It’s something that I’ve always told him over the years, ‘Hey, I’m going to get this movie made for you,’” Ciardi told The State. “I’m sure he lost hope at a certain point, but once Disney announced Disney+ I felt like it was the perfect movie, perfect script I had to bring over. We developed it some more and brought in some great elements.”
Last football season, Disney filmed a portion of the movie during halftime of Clemson’s game against Charlotte.
The crew spent about two weeks shooting at Clemson, with a critical part being the in-game filming.
Fans stayed in their seats during halftime of the game, as actors ran down the hill with a crew filming, and then shot three plays. Clemson fans did their best to make it feel like a real game, cheering loudly throughout the shoot.
“Shooting at halftime during the Clemson game was one of the most exciting shoots of my career,” Safety Director Reginald Hudlin told The State. “The enthusiasm of the folks in the stands was incredible. It meant everything. You can’t replicate the excitement of a real football game.”
The trailer for the movie was released on Friday, less than a month before it comes out on Disney+. Hudlin can’t wait for the movie to be released and to see what everyone’s reaction is.
“People are going to have a lot of fun when they’re watching it. They’re going to laugh. They’re going to cry. They’re going to really get in their feels,” he said. “Everybody who has seen it has loved it, so I can’t wait for the world to see it.”
This story was originally published November 13, 2020 at 12:27 PM with the headline "Disney movie on former Clemson player set to debut. Here are the details, trailer."
