'Miles Ahead' movie rolls into town in style

Actors Don Cheadle and Ewan McGregor arrived in style for filming of their first scenes of the "Miles Ahead" movie Monday, driving a green Jaguar down Seventh Street, Downtown.

Cheadle, dressed as jazz icon Miles Davis, and McGregor, playing a long-haired Rolling Stone reporter, hopped out of the car in front of the Cincinnati Bell building at 209 W. Seventh St., which was portraying CBS headquarters in New York in 1979.

"Don has a wig, but Ewan has his own long hair. He grew it out for the part," explained Dan Wagner, a Los Angeles-based producer who has been working with Cheadle on the film for two years.

Cheadle, an Oscar-nominated actor ("Hotel Rwanda"), makes his directorial debut and stars in "Miles Ahead," set in 1979 New York when the musician was ending his five-year "silent period" out of the public eye. In the script co-written by Cheadle, Davis enlists reporter Dave Brill (McGregor) to retrieve a recording stolen from the musician's home.

Filming started 20 minutes ahead of schedule Monday, Wagner said. Cheadle and the producers have been in town for almost two months. All of the one-day "day player" actors and the movie musicians were hired locally, said producer Pamela Hirsch.

"It's been great. We're thrilled. We've found everything we've needed. It's been a lot easier then we actually anticipated," Wagner said. "We're happy that we're finally kicked off and rolling."

Several dozen spectators watched filming Monday around the 10 classic cars, cabs and an old bus on Seventh Street. Many took pictures of Cheadle or McGregor, whose credits include "Star Wars," "A Million Ways to Die in the West," "Moulin Rouge" and "Trainspotting."

"I've been a big fan of Ewan McGregor since 'Trainspotting.' I could pick him out right away. Don Cheadle was a little harder to spot (dressed as Davis)," said Elizabeth Wetzel of Clifton, a City Hall worker who spent her lunch hour at the movie location.

Cincinnati Bell is a block from the old Shillito's department store entrance on Race Street, where Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara filmed a scene in April from their "Carol" feature film set in 1952 New York.

"People were really excited when it was announced that the second movie was coming," said Gina Parlato of Oakley, who works for LPK a few blocks away. She saw "Carol" film downtown, as well as George Clooney's "The Ides of March" in 2011.

"I think it's great that both ("Carol" and "Miles Ahead") aren't set in the present day, and you get to see all the old cars. It makes it much more exciting, because you get to see the movie-making process," Parlato said.

The "Miles Ahead" cast includes Kentucky native Emayatzy Corinealdi ("Middle of Nowhere," "The Nanny Express") as the musician's former wife Frances Taylor; Lakeith Lee Stanfield ("Selma," "Short Term 12"); Austin Lyon ("Divergent," "The Goldbergs," "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."); and Morgan Wolk ("The Perks of Being a Wallflower").

Most of the movie is set in 1979, when Davis and Brill tracked down the stolen recording, with flashbacks to Davis's affair with Frances from 1956 to 1966. Davis, a major figure in the bebop, cool jazz and jazz fusion movements, died in 1991 at age 65.

"Miles Ahead" will be filmed in about 25 locations through Aug. 15 – or longer.

"We'll shoot at least six weeks, but we have the possibility to go seven or eight weeks if we need to," Wagner said.

Area residents also may see more production trucks and stars in town.

"There's a television show in town shooting (now), and a major motion picture looking at Cincinnati," said Kristen Erwin Schlotman, executive director of the Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky Film Commission. "I think you'll see celebrity sightings on a regular basis."

Cheadle also has received good news on his Indiegogo.com campaign to raise $325,000 for the film. The crowd-funding site posted that he will "receive all funds raised, even if it does not reach its goal."

As of Monday afternoon, "Miles Ahead" had received $233,571, or 72 percent of the goal. The six-week campaign ends 11:59 p.m. PST Thursday, or 2:59 a.m. Cincinnati time Friday.