Big pig killers to meet in Tifton

By Jana Cone

TIFTON May 02, 2007 10:54 pm

— Killers of Hogzilla and Son of Hogzilla will meet up for the first time at the casting call for the movie “The Legend of Hogzilla” to be held at the Tift Theatre on May 8 and 9.
In June 2004, Chris Griffin killed the world-record boar Hogzilla in Alapaha. Then, in January 2007, Bill Coursey killed another record feral pig, known as Son of Hogzilla, in Fayetteville. He shot the hog in a neighbor’s yard.
Griffin’s boar was recognized for the length of its tusks: 39 1/2 inches.
Coursey’s boar was recognized for its size: 1,100 pounds.
For the first time, the two wild boar killers are going to meet and collaborate on their hog-hunting, with an eye toward the sequel to “The Legend of Hogzilla,” a horror movie based on Griffin’s story.
“We talked for about four hours yesterday,” said Rick Trimm, producer with Lithium Productions which is producing the film.
Trimm said both Hogzilla and Son of Hogzilla had been “popular hogs.” He said, “The two of them are a powerhouse.”
Trimm said he is 99 percent sure Griffin and Coursey will work out some kind of collaboration.
“He (Coursey) has agreed to come down (to Tifton) on May 8 to meet with us,” Trimm said. “He is going to bring Son of Hogzilla’s head that he has had mounted.”
Trimm said it would be the first time the public will get to see the mounted boar head. The event will take place right before the casting call begins at 5 p.m.
Trimm said Coursey had taken the head to South Carolina to be mounted and would make a special trip to pick it up before heading down to Tifton to meet with Griffin and Trimm.
Coursey told the Gazette that he had planned to pick the head up on May 12 and had a meeting scheduled with National Geographic. According to Trimm, Coursey changed those plans for the casting call scheduled for May 8.
Coursey said of his experience with killing the Son of Hogzilla, “This thing went crazy.” He said he was a fireman with Fulton County and he had no idea killing the boar would be such a phenomenon. “I’ve been in Field and Stream and Boar Hunter magazines and you name it,” he said. “One time I did a live radio show with the BBC.”
Trimm told The Gazette that he may have underestimated the number of people who will turn out for the casting call for “The Legend of Hogzilla.” He said he thought a few hundred local people would show up. However, it now appears people will be coming in from all over the state of Georgia and beyond.
Asked how many of the 200 parts would be speaking parts, Trimm said he does not have an exact number because “The script writer has been pretty secretive.” He said he is aware that one of the scenes “has a high body count.”
Asked if he has someone in mind for the lead role, Trimm said they had some one in mind but it was not definite.
The Gazette also asked Trimm about the $20 fee. Trimm explained that each person who came to the casting would be asked to complete an application form and they would have a “head shot” taken by a photographer. The photo will be attached to the application.
“Please tell everyone they cannot bring a photo. We have to take a photo,” Trimm said. He said the application information and the photo would be put on a Web site Lithium is hosting.
“That way these other producers can go to the site and find actors for their productions,” Trimm said. “Each one of them (people auditioning) will be set up on the Web site.”
“In a sense, when they come to the casting call and pay the $20 they are getting into a business,” Trimm said.
Trimm is now worried the Tift Theater will not be large enough for the number of people expected to attend the casting calls. He said he has six people who will be helping with the auditions and another ten people to help with other things.
Trimm said he was going to address security issues with local law enforcement today.
The Tifton Gazette has taken calls all week from people asking for information about the casting call and wanting directions to the Tift Theater.
Fox TV out of Atlanta said they would be down to film the casting call.
When asked if this could be Tifton’s version of an audition for American Idol, Trimm said, “It could very well be that big.”

To contact reporter Jana Cone, call 382-4321, ext. 208