Movie filmed in Mississippi now in theaters, streaming coming soon

Published 11:23 pm Saturday, November 4, 2023

A movie based on a story written by an award-winning Oxford author that was filmed in Natchez during the late summer of 2021 hit the big screens Saturday and will be available to stream on Nov. 10.

Oxford author Michael Farris Smith’s fourth novel “The Fighter” gives the inspiration for the film adaptation called “Rumble Through the Dark.”

A free screening event on Friday, Nov. 10, at the Oxford Powerhouse begins with a meet and greet with the author at 6:30 p.m. followed by a book signing and screening at 7:30 p.m.

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Reservations are recommended due to limited seating. Reservations can be made online at oxfordarts.com.

The film follows Jack Boucher, a seasoned fighter on the bare-knuckle circuit, as he makes his final, desperate attempt to salvage the family home of his dying foster mother.

Staring as Boucher is Aaron Eckhart, best known for his roles in “The Dark Knight” (2008), and “Thank You For Smoking” (2005).

Smith was hands-on with the production based on his first published work as an Oxford resident which was released in 2018, the Oxford Eagle reported. He also tasked himself with writing the screenplay adaptation for his own book – which isn’t a typical undertaking for a novelist.

The Mississippi native pushed for the movie to be filmed here largely because locations in the story include Clarksdale and Natchez.

“It’s very difficult to fake the Delta,” Smith told The Oxford Eagle. “It would take some of the shine off it, if we had to.”

Crooked Letter Picture Company, led by Tate Taylor and John Norris from Church Hill, assisted with the production with a full-fledged carnival on the Natchez bluff, which was used for public entertainment but also served as a movie set for a scene in the film.

This screening is sponsored by the Oxford Film Festival, Yoknapatawpha Arts Council, Square books and the Center for the Study of Southern Culture.