Sean Astin reports he’s now looking at a November production start for his and wife Christine Harrell’s labor of love movie project, “Number the Stars.” They wrote the screenplay based on Lois Lowry’s beloved Newbery-winning young readers’ book about two 10-year-old girls who are best friends – one Jewish and one Lutheran – in 1943 Denmark, when Danes launched a massive flotilla to evacuate Jews ahead of the Nazis.

Sean, who continues to act while pressing forward with the movie, admits, “We wanted to be shooting in August, but that’s not going to be possible. We’re doing it — like Frank Sinatra said — we’re doing it ‘My Way.’ We may never get it done, but we’re not getting it done my way,” adds Sean with a laugh.

He’s been speaking to potential investors at every opportunity, including his recent trek to Las Vegas to participate in a charity poker tourney. When it comes to financing, he’s found, “Building a movie is like building a company.”

.... which includes this utterly sweet conversation about crying:

Rudy made EW’s list of the 50 best tearjerkers ever. What movie gets you to cry?
I have three daughters. I cry at everything. I cry at a Hallmark commercial. I don’t care what it is. I met the 10 finalists for The Biggest Loser at the fireworks the other day, I was almost crying looking at them knowing what they had gone through. I don’t know that I’m gonna get any John Wayne tough guys parts anymore in my life because I’m just a big cry baby. [Laughs] I cried when the U.S. lost in the World Cup. I cry when my candidate doesn’t win. I cry for everything. Everyone cries at It’s a Wonderful Life. But there are two moments that always get me, no doubt about it, and one of them may be unique. Remember how he doesn’t get to do anything he wants, he has to keep holding down the fort, and then finally, he marries Mary, and they’re gonna go on their honeymoon and they get in the car and all of the sudden, they look in the rearview mirror and there’s a run on the bank. They stop, and he’s like, I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to do. And she holds up their money, their handful of cash that they’re supposed to use to go on their honeymoon, and they share this look with each other and he realizes that the community is more important, and he takes the money to go save them. Gone. GONE at that moment. That just absolutely kills me. The second moment is at the very end, usually when his buddy who tried to get him into plastics wires from London that he’ll advance him up to $25,000, no questions asked. Forget it. Gone. Something about money, altruism, and integrity — when they connect with each other, it gets me.

Go here to read the entire interview!

I was probably one of the few people who brought my VHS copy for them to sign and I mentioned it to Sean Astin who turned to the director and said, "Look, VHS, that's classic." Richard responded with, "Priceless" and Sean agreed to which I responded, "Well, it is now." So much for selling all of my VHS; I think I need to buy a display case.

Full report here!

And a couple of her pictures!






Go here for more!

Again, SANET wishes to thank Winklepots for her generosity.

Sean Astin
Sean Astin is most famous for his film roles as Mikey in The Goonies, the title character of Rudy, Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and Drew Barrymore's steroid-juiced brother in 50 First Dates.