5 for Fighting, Pier 21 Films, Entertainment One (eOne) and Frantic Films in association with CBC Television are pleased to announce that principal photography is underway on the continuing story about the life of the legendary Don Cherry.
Keep Your Head Up Kid: The Sequel is a two-part mini-series being made for broadcast on CBC that chronicles the life of one of Canada’s most prominent hockey personalities and his 30 years with Hockey Night in Canada. It will be shot in Winnipeg and other locations in Manitoba for eight weeks. The first two-part mini-series Keep Your Head Up Kid: The Don Cherry Story was shot in 2009, and premiered on CBC in 2010, earning the highest ratings for a CBC mini-series in a decade. The drama also garnered multiple award nominations, including seven at the 25th Gemini Awards.
Jared Keeso (I Love You, Beth Cooper; The Guard; Monster Warriors), who takes on the role as Don Cherry, won the Gemini for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series. He also won a Leo Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Feature-Length Drama or Mini-Series. Sarah Manninen (The Line; Naked Josh; Never Forget) plays the beloved Rose Cherry.
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
The script for Keep Your Head Up Kid: The Sequel is written by Andrew Wreggitt. Jeff Woolnough, who directed the first mini-series, is also directing the sequel. Executive Producers on the project are Laszlo Barna (Pier 21), Tim Cherry and Wayne Thompson (5 For Fighting), Jamie Brown (Frantic Films) and Margaret O’Brien (Entertainment One). The production is being led by producers Laszlo Barna, Tim Cherry, Wayne Thompson, Suzanne Berger (Entertainment One), Shawn Watson (Frantic Films), and Melissa Williamson (Pier 21), with Lesley Oswald as Line Producer.
In order to cover the hockey action in the mini-series, two different arenas will be used for hockey scenes. Winnipeg’s MTS Centre will ‘double’ for NHL play, while the PCU Centre in Portage la Prairie will be used for AHL action. Other shooting locations include the Selkirk Recreation Complex and Stonewall Curling Club.
