To contact Rik for an interview about the Mayberry Man, call 1-888-895-8549. Or, use the contact form on this website.
Anyone who enjoys good, wholesome fun will love the Mayberry Man Movie. If you are a fan of The Andy Griffith Show, you’re going to love it!
“Arrogant movie star Chris Stone is busted for speeding in a small town and is sentenced to attend Mayberry Fest. The week-long festival celebrating The Andy Griffith Show was a favorite occurrence for his father who had played a small role in the series. Cris experiences a modern-day version of Mayberry. This forces him out of his Hollywood bubble and given the chance to discover the true meaning of friendship and family.”
The movie is in no way a “remake” or a “reboot” of the TV series. But, since the story takes place during a Mayberry festival, it does capture the spirit of the show. Throughout the film, you will see tribute artists, impersonators, and countless references to the show. Karen Knotts makes an appearance in the film. And, the widow of Earle Hagen even granted the rights to some of the music her husband created for the Andy Griffith show.
The arrogant movie star is played by Brett Varvell. Brett is a bright, up-and-coming actor who already has a few movies under his belt. His character goes through a transformation during the film that is a joy to see unfold.
My role was to play a Barney Fife tribute artist. Since I travel the country appearing as the deputy, I jumped at the chance. Knowing that I wasn’t burdened with playing Don Knotts, or Barney Fife was a relief. Instead, I played a character much like myself; a guy who loves the show and brings back the memories by impersonating the great actor. You can watch me being interviewed by producer Cort Howell after I found out I was cast in the movie.
Alongside me in every scene is Allan Newsome from Huntsville, AL. Allan plays a “Floyd the Barber” tribute artist. He, too, is a mega-fan of the show. So much so, that he hosts the “Two Chair, No Waiting” podcast. The show gets knee-deep into the fan culture surrounding the show.
I had fun playing off of actors who were tribute artists for Goober, Gomer, Otis, Earnest T. Bass, The Fun Girls, Aunt Bee, Opie, and Briscoe Darling.
Stark Howell wrote the script. He and his brother Cort are sons of Hoke Howell who played “Dud Wash” on The Andy Griffith Show. The older brother, Stark, is an accomplished artist and storyteller who has spent his career creating family entertainment for Disney, Nickelodeon, Warner Bros., and Universal. Stark was also childhood friends with Ron Howard and appeared in Ron’s early Super 8 movies he made as a teenager.
Cort Howell is an award-winning television and film producer. He is one of the most successful independent transactional television producers of all time with over $2 billion in sales. Cort is based in Carmel, Indiana.
Gregory Schell is the son of Ronnie Schell, who played “Duke Slater” on Gomer Pyle, USMC. Gregory is a talented photographer and documentary filmmaker known in the Mayberry community for producing “Mayberry Days,” a documentary about the annual Andy Griffith festival in North Carolina.
In May, the film will first be available to those who funded its production through Kickstarter. You can still participate in the funding of the film by clicking here. After completion, the film will be pitched to distributors. Once the project is picked up, the general public will be able to view the movie. To be notified of release information as it becomes available, follow any of the social media channels below. Or, join my e-newsletter list.
