'Johnny Longshot' To Film In Cincinnati

In a press conference on Thursday, October 25, actor/director Emilio Estevez announced that his film crew will be shooting the full-length harness racing feature 'Johnny Longshot' in and around Cincinnati for 37 days beginning early next year. Estevez, 50, also announced that he himself will be broken to the sulky for the film.

As a report by cincinnati.com explains, the Hollywood veteran was scheduled to hop in the bike at Lebanon Raceway yesterday. The film is expected to be released late in 2013 or early in 2014.

Estevez will be playing the lead character, John West, who, after a career as a thoroughbred jockey, turns his sights to standardbred racing.

Although he did note that a stunt double will be used in some instances, Estevez is planning on getting his feet up in the stirrups himself, noting that the role will also require him to “take a lot of training in the sulky.”

In the press conference announcing the shooting of the film, Kristen Erwin, the executive director of Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky Film Commission, stated that the 37-day shoot will be “the longest time any film of this size has spent in Cincinnati.”

The report states that Turfway Park and River Downs could be used for parts of the film, but that racing scenes will be shot at Lebanon and possibly Scioto Downs.

It is expected that 1,500 local people will be hired for the film's cast and crew.

(With files from cincinnati.com)