Unreleased Robin Williams Film Got $302K in Funding From Tenn. Taxpayers

Chris Butler / August 26, 2014

NASHVILLE — One of Robin Williams’ final movies, “Boulevard,” filmed in Nashville more than a year ago with a $302,000 investment from Tennessee taxpayers, still has earned no interest from film distributors.

Tennessee Watchdog asked Sara Serlen, spokeswoman for the New York-based ID public relations firm, listed as one of the film’s press contacts, if the film still has no distributorship.

“That is correct, to date,” Serlen said in an email Friday.

Without a distributor, “Boulevard” lacks a release date and has no known method of release, whether theatrically, on DVD or a television broadcast.

Many media outlets cited “Boulevard” as one of Williams’ four final films, which likely will receive more attention after his sudden, tragic death earlier this month.

Officials with the “Boulevard” production company, Camellia Entertainment, didn’t return requests for comment Thursday and Friday.

Officials with the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, which gave the $302,000 to the film’s production costs, also didn’t return messages Thursday and Friday.

As previously reported, state officials, as they do with ABC’s “Nashville,” see the movie as a marketing and branding opportunity for the city and state.

Earlier this year Tennessee Watchdog asked ECD spokesman Clint Brewer if the film really benefits state taxpayers, considering it never references Nashville or Tennessee.

“The film includes very obvious shots of the Nashville skyline,” said Brewer. “The city and the state are also recognized in the credits. In addition, the production company is marketing it as being shot in Tennessee.”

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