Tulsa’s reputation as hub for Hollywood shoots grows with ‘Road to Recovery’ film

It’s a Monday afternoon when Freddie Prinze Jr. and Ryan Kiera Armstrong walk into a Sapulpa bar. Then they exit — and do it over and over again.   

Each time, writer and director Scout Taylor-Compton yells an enthusiastic “cut!” that sounds like it’s got a few extra “U” in the middle. The actors and crew reset before starting anew. 

It’s day 13 of the 18-day shoot for the independent film “Road to Recovery,” which follows a father and his terminally ill daughter on a cross-country trip to find the boy she loves. The saloon is one of their stops. 

Nearly all of the filming has occurred in the Tulsa metro, including on this day in Torchy’s Cadillac Country – one of eight local film locations. Other shoots featured Decopolis, Saint Francis Hospital and a few Tulsans’ homes. 

“It’s a powerful story about cancer and grief and loss that is very personal to Scout, and we wanted to help her tell the story,” said Randy Wayne, who serves as a co-producer with wife Talia Bella through their company Rebellium Films. The producers previously worked with Taylor-Compton on the 2024 film “Model House,” which kicked off a close working relationship. 

The drama stars Armstrong (“The Lowdown”) and Prinze Jr. (“I Know What You Did Last Summer”) alongside Thomas Lennon, Cameron Crovetti, Tyler Mane, Marley Shelton and Cerina Vincent. 

Back on set, Lennon – known for his role as Lieutenant Jim Dangle in “Reno 911” – is dancing to a Jacob Tovar performance in what appears to be a pivotal scene in the movie.

“It’s a lot of support, a lot of people that love Scout as a human and also want to support her career as a director,” Wayne said. 

To bring the film to life, the producers hired a crew that is 99% local. There are many familiar faces, with some wearing “The Lowdown” merch on the Torchy’s set. While standing in a video village a few feet from the director’s seat, Bella credited “The Lowdown” and “Reservation Dogs” creator Sterlin Harjo for helping build a large local crew that can now stay busy when he’s not filming a project.

Shooting “Road to Recovery” with a skilled local crew continues to build trust with Hollywood executives, Wayne said. Often when Rebellium is approached with a movie, Wayne said, producers or directors from Los Angeles or New York have a hard time believing Tulsa can offer a crew that’s experienced enough. 

“We say, ‘You don’t need to bring anyone out here,’” he said. “Once they gave everyone a shot and had the meetings, they said, ‘You have everyone we need.’ They only brought the cinematographer, so that makes us happy to give our department heads an opportunity.”

It’s tight quarters inside Torchy’s with all the cameras, sound and lighting equipment, plus the dozens of workers squeezing past barstools between shots. Taylor-Compton gives direction and returns to the video village to take her seat. Cameras roll and the actors get to work. 

Moments later, Taylor-Compton yells another “Cuuuut!”

“We got a saloon scene,” she said. 

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