By Meg Peters
Review Co-Editor
A group of local visionaries decided it was high time to create a faith-based, historical action film, and used several locations in Lake Orion for the set.
From the elaborate masquerade ball at Scripps Mansion to other historical settings at Canterbury Village, the movie was filmed in and out of Oakland County, including Meadowbrook Hall, The Henry Ford and Crossroads Village in Genesee County. ?
As the film premiers April 6 viewers will find that double-crossed Will Reynolds (Andrew Chesney’Seasons of Gray) is on the run. An assassin for the British East India Company, Reynolds escapes to the American Colonies to redeem his past and win back the love of Charlotte (Kara Kilmer’Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D.), a woman he kept the truth from in his past. Wearing a new mask to throw off his former employer, Reynolds must quickly overthrow a plot of historical proportions, gain the trust of Ben Franklin, and win back his one and only.
Other stars include Ade M’Cormack from’Captain America: The Winter Soldier’and’Indiana Jones’and John Rhys-Davies from The Lord of the Rings.
? ‘Beyond the Mask’is a revolutionary new family film that brings history to life in a faith-filled adventure celebrating grace, liberty, and the true freedom that can only be found in Christ,? according to the movie’s website http://www.beyondthemaskmovie.com/story.
The Burns Family Studio, including Burns family members from’Lake Orion,’Oxford and Ortonville, wrote, designed, directed and filmed Beyond the Mask.’The movie will be running locally at the Oxford 7 and AMC theatres at Great Lakes Crossing, and also other theatres around the nation.
Cousins Aaron (former Lake Orion resident) and Chad Burns produced and directed the film while Oxford resident Marilyn Burns designed and created all of the period based costumes from the 1770s in her home off Seymour Lake Rd.?
As the lead costume designer for Oxford High School, Marilyn Burns? work was also recently featured in the musicals ‘Beauty and the Beast? and ‘The Wizard of Oz? shown at the high school.
Tracey Burns, Ortonville resident and mother of Aaron and Marilyn Burns, also facilitated on set as the Associate Producer.
‘Film is a powerful way to express your ideas and impact the culture. Our desire was to create something that doesn’t really exist in the market’a Christian action film in a historical setting.?’Beyond the Mask’is an edge-of-your-seat adventure that families can watch together and enjoy,? she said.
Tickets must be purchased online and in advance of the show date, and interested viewers are encouraged to check the website, BeyondtheMaskmovie.com, for availability.?