'Dear John' to be filmed in Charleston area

Image by 20080914dearjohn.jpg Dear John the novel will be made into a movie and largely filmed it the Charleston area.

Love, loss, and the military are intertwined in the movie adaption of Nicholas Sparks' 2006 novel "Dear John." And the Charleston-area has landed a lead performance.

The S.C. Film Commission says this about the movie:
“Dear John” is the story of a soldier who meets a young, idealistic college student on spring break. The couple tries to keep their romance alive through a series of overseas letters.

And it looks like it'll have a director that knows how to use our scenery, the S.C. Film Commission continues:
The filming of “Dear John” marks the South Carolina return of Oscar-nominated director Lasse Halstrom, who directed 1995’s “Something to Talk About” in Beaufort County. Other credits include “Cider House Rules,” “Chocolat,” and “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape.”

There will be a few solid performers too, the commission again:
Actor Channing Tatum will play the title character of John Tyree. Tatum is known for his roles in “G.I. Joe,” “She’s the Man,” and “Stop-Loss.”

Amanda Seyfried, known for her recent role in “Mamma Mia,” will play the lead role of Savannah. Seyfried has a successful list of credits, including roles in “Mean Girls,” the HBO series “Big Love,” and several daytime soap operas.

The Post and Courier notes that there will be an extras casting call on Saturday, Sept. 20, at Trident Technical College.

But it's not all good news, as The State notes South Carolina is falling behind on its efforts to attract movies.

No release date has been scheduled yet. Keep up on the movie's progress at IMDB.