Hollywood Producer Eyes Spring Filming for Atlantic City Basketball Movie, Plans to Cast Local Residents

Scott Rosenfelt, whose credits include Home Alone and Mystic Pizza, says Under the Boards will tell the story of Atlantic City High School's championship basketball teams, with local actors and production workers playing an important role.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — A planned Hollywood movie about Atlantic City High School's championship basketball teams is moving closer to production, with veteran producer Scott Rosenfelt revealing new details about casting, financing and plans to film the project in South Jersey next spring.

Rosenfelt, whose film credits include Home Alone, Mystic Pizza and Teen Wolf, discussed the developing movie, titled Under the Boards, during an Oct. 9 appearance on The AC Mike Lopez Show on News Talk 1400 & 92.3 WOND.

The project, which South Jersey NewsBeat first reported in September, will tell the story of Atlantic City's basketball success under head coach Gene Allen and assistant coach Jim Schafer Jr., focusing particularly on the relationships that helped transform the program into a state championship contender.

But Rosenfelt says the production itself will also be a South Jersey story.

"We could do the entire movie here," Rosenfelt told Lopez. "There's a tax incentive."

And he wants local residents involved in more than background scenes.

"I want to cast not just extras. I want to cast certain of the smaller roles of local people," Rosenfelt said.

Spring Filming Is the Goal

Rosenfelt said the filmmakers are aiming to begin shooting in spring 2027, although financing and casting are still being assembled.

"We're now, you know, hoping to make this movie in the spring," he said.

The producer revealed that discussions are underway with two actors in Los Angeles about portraying Schafer and Allen, the central figures in the film.

"We're talking to cast right now to play Jim and Gene out in L.A., two actors in particular, which are pretty exciting," Rosenfelt said.

He did not identify the actors, and no casting agreements were announced during the interview.

Rosenfelt emphasized that the movie is being developed as an independent production rather than a major studio release.

"This is not going to be a $20, $30, $50, $100 million studio movie," he said. "It's not meant to be. It shouldn't be. It's homegrown."

He expects much of the financing to come from investors in the region.

"We're expecting the financing to come primarily from local people," Rosenfelt said.

The producer will also direct the film, with Schafer working alongside him as a producer.

"I'm going to be directing it," Rosenfelt said. "Jim and I are working on it together as producers."

An additional producer based in Los Angeles is helping with casting and potential distribution arrangements.

Rosenfelt expressed confidence in the project's progress but stopped short of announcing a finalized production schedule.

Local Residents Could Get Their Chance on Camera

One of the most significant developments revealed during the interview is Rosenfelt's intention to recruit South Jersey residents for acting roles and production jobs.

He said he wants the movie to feel authentic, with people who know Atlantic City helping tell its story.

"When I say local people, I don't mean actors from, you know, Jersey City," Rosenfelt said. "I mean local people, people who haven't acted before, people who have a knack for it or are not uncomfortable with a camera in their face and those kinds of things."

He added that professional acting experience will not necessarily be required for every part.

"I want it to be filled with reality," Rosenfelt said.

"Everybody is going to get a shot here to do maybe what they've always wanted to do."

The opportunities could extend behind the camera.

"There's also, you know, work on the production. There's a lot of jobs," Rosenfelt said. "Some of which will be brought in, but most of them, a lot of people will be local."

No formal casting call, audition schedule or application process was announced during the interview.

Lopez encouraged interested residents to follow Schafer's social media accounts for future announcements.

The Championship Years That Inspired the Movie

The story behind Under the Boards begins with one of the most successful periods in Atlantic City High School basketball history.

Under Allen, the Vikings won New Jersey Group IV state championships in 2005, 2012 and 2013.

Allen, who coached Atlantic City from 2003 through 2022, compiled a 377-136 record and became the winningest basketball coach in school history.

The back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013 provide a major part of the movie's foundation.

But Rosenfelt said the film will focus on more than basketball victories.

He began developing the story after Schafer, a relative by marriage, approached him about the possibility of making a movie.

"Jim Schaefer, who was a basketball coach here, was the assistant coach at Atlantic City High School, came to me because he's married to my cousin," Rosenfelt recalled.

The two began discussing whether the team's championship years could provide the basis for an inspirational sports film.

Rosenfelt subsequently met with Allen and began exploring the personal stories behind the team's success.

The project was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic before the filmmakers resumed their work.

Rosenfelt said he interviewed former players, many now in their 30s, along with coaches and others connected to the program.

"I interviewed all the guys from the team who are in their 30s, most of which live around here, but not all of them," he said.

Those conversations helped shape a screenplay told largely from Schafer's perspective.

More Than a Basketball Story

Rosenfelt said he was especially interested in the relationship between Schafer and Allen, two coaches with different backgrounds who shared a commitment to their players.

He described their working relationship as one of mutual respect, even when they disagreed.

"We created something that captured the time, captured his relationship with Gene, which was kind of a good push-pull," Rosenfelt said.

He said the relationship between Schafer, who is white, and the predominantly Black basketball team became an important part of the story.

"It's about everybody being the same and being a family," Rosenfelt said.

He recalled Schafer emphasizing the importance of teamwork and the idea of five players functioning as one unit.

The film will also explore the people outside the basketball program who supported its success.

Rosenfelt mentioned Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small, who was involved with the program before becoming mayor.

"Marty Small was involved. Marty Small helped bring Jim to the program," Rosenfelt said.

He described the story as involving a collection of personalities whose relationships extended beyond the basketball court.

The result, he hopes, will be a sports drama that resonates with audiences unfamiliar with Atlantic City.

From Home Alone to Atlantic City

Rosenfelt brings decades of filmmaking experience to the project.

His credits include producing Teen Wolf and Mystic Pizza and serving as an executive producer on Home Alone.

He also produced Smoke Signals, the acclaimed 1998 independent film, and has worked on numerous other projects throughout his career.

During the WOND interview, Rosenfelt discussed his early years in the industry, beginning as a production assistant before moving into production management and producing.

He recalled working on Saturday Night Fever and unexpectedly becoming John Travolta's photo double when the actor was unavailable for additional filming.

"I ended up being John Travolta's photo double for the entire movie," Rosenfelt said, describing how he was called upon to wear Travolta's leather jacket for certain shots.

He said the experience reinforced the importance of understanding every aspect of filmmaking.

Rosenfelt also discussed helping develop Mystic Pizza, the 1988 film that provided Julia Roberts with an early breakthrough role.

Despite his Hollywood experience, Rosenfelt has strong personal ties to the Atlantic City area.

His father attended Atlantic City High School before World War II, and Rosenfelt spent summers at the Jersey Shore as a child.

He said he has lived in the region for approximately 10 years.

Those connections make Under the Boards especially meaningful.

New Jersey Film Incentives Could Help

Rosenfelt pointed to New Jersey's film tax credit program as one reason the project could be produced locally.

The state offers incentives intended to attract film and television productions, while the Atlantic City Film Commission provides assistance with locations, permits and production services.

Rosenfelt said the combination of incentives and available local talent creates an opportunity to make the movie where its events actually occurred.

He also noted that several people working on the production already live in New Jersey.

"The editor I work with lives in New Jersey. I live here," Rosenfelt said.

He recalled his children once asking why he couldn't make a movie closer to home.

"My kids once asked me a few years ago when they were younger, because I travel to make movies primarily, and they said, why can't you make a movie in Margate?" he told Lopez.

Now, he hopes to give them a different answer.

"We can finally tell my kids we're making a movie here," Rosenfelt said. "I can go home every night."

What's Next?

Rosenfelt and Schafer are continuing to assemble financing, casting and the production team.

The filmmakers have not announced a confirmed start date, a completed cast or a release schedule.

Still, Rosenfelt said the goal remains to begin filming next spring and create a movie that reflects the people and community behind Atlantic City's basketball championships.

"We really want to make a homegrown movie," he said.

For South Jersey residents interested in acting or working on a film crew, that could eventually mean an opportunity to participate in a Hollywood production without leaving home.

And for the players and coaches who helped build one of Atlantic City's most successful basketball programs, it could mean seeing their story told to audiences far beyond South Jersey.

Scott Rosenfelt discussed Under the Boards during an Oct. 9 interview on The AC Mike Lopez Show, which airs weekdays from noon to 1 p.m. on News Talk 1400 & 92.3 WOND.