'Even Stevens' film to be shot here

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

The cast of "Even Stevens," a popular Disney Channel show about a California family and its adventures and misadventures, is Hawai'i-bound to work on a feature film.

Shooting is scheduled in the Islands from Aug. 16 through 20.

The storyline involves an "extreme" reality show in which members of a family compete.

The filmmakers had been considering Australia as an alternate shooting site, but decided on Hawai'i.

"This will be a movie for release in August 2003," said Nicole Marostica, Disney Channel spokeswoman. "The film is being done before the series comes to an end this year."

Marostica said Disney will hire an athletic host to help the cast simulate the "extreme" scenes. Preproduction crews have been scouting for filming sites, but final decisions have not been made, she said. Some local extras will be hired.

Disney has shown an ongoing interest in projects in or about Hawai'i. Previous films have included "Pearl Harbor" and the animated "Lilo & Stitch."

"Even Stevens" follows the lives of a family from Sacramento, Calif., featuring Tom Virtue as Steve Stevens, Donna Pescow as Eileen Stevens, Shia La Beouf as Louis, Christy Carlson Romano as Ren and Nick Spano as Donnie.

One of Disney's top-rated TV ventures, it airs here at 5:30 p.m. weekdays on the Disney Channel and at 8:30 a.m. Saturdays on KITV-4, the ABC affiliate.