Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
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Three Billboards Outside Ebbings, Missouri, has been wowing crowds at the Venice Film Festival this week, according to several reports. Several scenes of the Fox Searchlight film were shot around Western North Carolina back in 2016. Locations included the Swannanoa Valley and downtown Sylva.
The movie is directed by Oscar-winner Martin McDonagh (In Bruges) and stars fellow Oscar-winner Frances McDormand, (Oscar-nominee) Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell and Peter Dinklage. McDormand and Harrelson were spotted around Asheville during the filming back in spring ’16.
The movie is a dark comedy that tells the story of a 50-year-old woman’s campaign to confront police in a small town after her daughter is murdered. The grieving mother uses billboards on the outskirts of town.
All the actors deliver strong performances, with Rockwell, in particular, impressing moviegoers, according to reports, according to Deadline.com. Variety agrees, reporting that it’s Rockwell “who really punches through the ensemble with a dramatic arc and a reminder that the journeyman actor can be one of the best tools in a director’s arsenal.” Vanity Fair’s review notes that McDormand really shines, with several of her character’s lines prompting spontaneous bursts of mini-applause.
All the reports agree that Three Billboards has some serious Academy Award potential for those involved. Three Billboards is set to be released in the U.S. on Nov. 10.
