L’Orville: new horizons delivered almost the most jaw-dropping sci-fi cameo since then Stacey Abrams appeared on Star Trek: Discovery , and it seemed difficult to overcome. Country song icon Dolly Parton performed in the recent episode “Midnight Blue”, which I’m not sure about. Hulu subscribers He Saw It Coming It might not be something the team has ever seen happen, considering that, as the director shared with Gossipify, they had to move a set across the country to make it happen.
I have had the honor of speaking with orvilleis Jon Cassar, who Season 3 shares directing duties with Seth MacFarlane and personally directed the episode “Midnight Blue”. Given the major cameo, I had to ask him to work with Dolly Parton (which manages to keep himself busy unexpectedly these days ). He talked about how great it was to work with her and the challenges it brings in the era of COVID restrictions. Cassar discussed the experience and how they built and shipped half a Hollywood set across the country specifically for their scene:
It was a real honor and a pleasure. It was a very complicated thing to do because she wanted to do it, but there was no way she could get on a plane now. She said, ‘Listen, I have my studies. So I would like you to go to my studies with my people, they are all tested. Ours, too, but that was how she would do it. She wouldn’t want it any other way. We were a little nervous because we have our team and our production designer. We wanted to make sure we maintain that continuity. The only way to do this was to virtually build a set in Los Angeles, turn on the set, try out all the stunts and cut the set in half and ship half of the set to Nashville by truck. Then let’s fly.
L’Orville: new horizons moved a set from Los Angeles to Nashville so Dolly Parton could shoot her pivotal scene in which a historical hologram of herself convinces Moclan Haveena to confess that she had broken the treaty to protect Topa. It was a surreal scene to watch and see, considering Parton isn’t exactly someone typically associated with science fiction, but that made it even more amazing to watch.
Jon Cassar continued the story of the scene, which was shot in two different locations. Only part of Dolly Parton’s conversation in Nashville was captured on video, but Cassar explained that he allowed actress Rena Owen to come anyway so they could work together on stage:
We were there less than 24 hours. It was me and Seth, Rena. [Owen) who plays Savina and a makeup artist. That was it. Then we worked with their camera people, and they knew exactly where the lights went. We had all the marks on the ground of where the cameras would go and so that’s the way we did it. We didn’t have a lot of time with her, so that was the only way we could do it…The nice thing is she let us bring Rena so she had someone to play with off camera. So we got to do all the over-the-shoulder [shots] with Rena there in her complete makeup. When we got back to LA, we shot the other half of the set which was still there to get all of Rena’s coverage.
It all sounds like a lot of work that the casual viewer wouldn’t know if Jon Cassar and others didn’t tell the whole story. orville the team went to make it happen. It would certainly have been a lot easier to ditch the idea and replace Dolly Parton with someone else, so fans should enjoy the scene a lot more.
certainly some of orville Fans are interested in the work needed to bring Dolly Parton into the episode, but of course many also want to know what it was like to shoot with the country singer. Jon Cassar wasn’t exactly surprised with her response, confirming that Parton was as warm and professional as fans would expect:
It was simply fantastic. She knew her lines. There was a teleprompter there, she didn’t need it, she controlled it and it was a real pleasure to work with and she smiled all day. It was just a win for everyone.
L’Orville: new horizons it’s almost over with season 3, and after that, fans will wait and see if they watched and supported the show enough for Hulu to give it the green light for season 4. After the huge the events that alter the universe of the penultimate episode I know I hope it happens, but only time will tell.
Fans can catch up L’Orville: new horizons currently streaming seasons 1-3 on Hulu (opens in a new tab). The series will also arrive on Disney + on Wednesday, August 10, which it should be a great opportunity for a new audience to verify that it works.
Source: Cinemablend
Benjamin Smith is a fashion journalist and author at Gossipify, known for his coverage of the latest fashion trends and industry insights. He writes about clothing, shoes, accessories, and runway shows, providing in-depth analysis and unique perspectives. He’s respected for his ability to spot emerging designers and trends, and for providing practical fashion advice to readers.
