KISS 'Cadillac High' movie on band's 1975 visit is news to State of Michigan; film's future unclear 

KISS \'Cadillac High\' movie on band\'s 1975 visit is news to State of Michigan; film\'s future unclear

Eric Lacy | elacy@mlive.com By Eric Lacy | elacy@mlive.com MLive.com

on August 05, 2014 at 12:58 PM, updated August 05, 2014 at 2:42 PM

The film sounds very promising, and obviously it would be very exciting." - Michigan Film Office spokesperson Michelle Grinnell on "Cadillac High"

KISS\' current members in photo above: Gene Simmons, Eric Singer, Tommy Thayer and Paul Stanley. Past members: Ace Frehley, Peter Criss, Eric Carr, Vinnie Vincent, Mark St. John and Bruce Kulick.Courtesy photo

DETROIT, MI -- When KISS\' Gene Simmons told MLive.com last week that a movie about the band\'s 1975 visit to a small MIchigan town is fully-funded and in pre-production, it became news to the Michigan Film Office.

The State of Michigan-backed entity, in charge of giving film incentives, hasn\'t received any word from "Cadillac High" producer Philip Steuer since 2012, the year he received a "conditional" $8.2 million incentive from the state.

This incentive, at the time, gave Steuer the opportunity to shoot "Cadillac High" — based on KISS\' trip to Cadillac, its impact on the town and the Cadillac High football team — in the city, Detroit and Pontiac.

If Steuer, crews and cast are ready to shoot the film in-state and want to take advantage of some benefits, they have the opportunity to do so — if an application gets resubmitted and approved by the Michigan Film Office, spokeswoman Michelle Grinnell said.

"Certainly they could apply again," Grinnell said. "They have not at this point, and we haven’t heard that they are going to at this point, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t.

Attempts Tuesday to reach Steuer were unsuccessful.

Steuer produced the "Chronicles of Narnia" films and "Oz the Great and Powerful," that was shot in 2011 at Michigan Motion Picture Studios in Pontiac (formerly Raleigh Michigan Studios)

Based on the basis of "Cadillac High" and Steuer\'s credentials, the Michigan Film Office hopes the project eventually gets the green light.

"The film sounds very promising, and obviously it would be very exciting," Grinnell said. "We would love to see it all lumped together."

Since Steuer hasn\'t, as of Tuesday, been in touch with the Michigan Film Office about "Cadillac High," it appears unlikely the movie will have enough time in the 2014 fiscal year to apply and possibly receive incentives.

The state\'s fiscal year begins on Oct. 1 and ends Sept. 30 of the following calendar year.

Michigan\'s film incentive program will have a cap of $50 million in 2015.

Superhero movie "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" began filming in Metro Detroit earlier this year after receiving a $35 million incentive to film in the state.

According to the Michigan Film Office\'s 2011 Annual Report, an cost/benefit analysis of "Cadillac High" said the film was expected to hire 205 Michigan residents and spend just over $27 million dollars.

The dollar figure included, based on the report, $5.5 million on equipment and material rentals, $700,000 on food and over $534,000 on lodging.

"Cadillac High" is expected to emphasize the impact KISS made on the Cadillac High School Vikings varsity football team and the town as a whole during its Homecoming Weekend celebration.

In 1974, the Vikings, playing KISS albums in the locker room before and after games, won seven straight games and wound up conference co-champs.

Word spread to KISS of the team\'s success, and the band\'s members decided to visit Cadillac the next year for a raucous Homecoming weekend.

t\'s unclear why there\'s been such a delay, but Simmons, the KISS member, sounded last week eager over the phone to see what the finished product will look like.

"It\'s now been fully funded and it\'s now in pre-production," Simmons said.

When pressed on the matter, Simmons said he has "no idea" what type of role the band will play in the film, when the movie could be released, and if another visit by the band to Cadillac is possible anytime soon.

"The only date or timeline (for a release) I can give would be a guess," Simmons said.

For more Simmons, check out the in-depth interview I did with him.

KISS is currently on tour this summer with Def Leppard and will make an Aug. 23 stop at DTE Energy Music Theatre in Clarkston.

"Our dance card is so full," Simmons said. "We\'re currently in the middle of the tour — the first half of it — and then we\'ll take a break in September.

"Then we\'ll do a short stint in Las Vegas; then a KISS cruise; then we\'ll fly to Mexico City to play a stadium down there; plans for a South American stadium tour, and just go around the world twice for two years."

For more on KISS\' 1975 visit to Cadillac, check out the YouTube video below:

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