SLU Goes Hollywood
For a few weeks in the fall of 2023, Hollywood came to Saint Louis University.
Filming for the movie On Fire, which tells the story of SLU alum John O鈥橪eary (CSB 鈥99), took place at several campus locations in November and early December. The film is slated for a 2025 release.
O鈥橪eary was 9 years old in 1987 when he was so badly burned in an accident that doctors gave him less than a 1% chance of survival. He shared his journey to recovery in the 2016 bestseller On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life, which is the basis for the film.
鈥淚鈥檓 a Midwest kid, a SLU grad, so this whole thing is shocking,鈥 O鈥橪eary said. 鈥淭he fact that there鈥檚 a movie about it is remarkable.鈥
Members of the SLU community got an up-close look at the making of a movie both in front of the camera as extras and behind the scenes by shadowing the director and crew.
Production crews spent seven days filming on campus using outdoor locations near the Chaifetz School of Business and Lipic Clock Tower Plaza, as well as indoors at Chaifetz Arena, the former YWCA building on the West Pine Mall (now owned by SLU) and Salus Center.
The film stars Joel Courtney as O鈥橪eary; Masey McLain as his wife, Beth (Hittler) O鈥橪eary (DCHS 鈥01); John Corbett as his father, Denny (Law 鈥68); Stephanie Szostak as his mother, Susan; William H. Macy as broadcaster Jack Buck; and James McCracken as young John O鈥橪eary.
鈥淚鈥檝e always loved our campus,鈥 O鈥橪eary said. 鈥淚 brought our director here to just meet with my family 鈥 that was it. We weren鈥檛 going to film in St. Louis, but we met with St. Louisans and then he toured SLU and asked, 鈥榃hat is this place?鈥 I told him it was where I went to college, and he said, 鈥楾his place is stunning. It should be in the movie.鈥欌
In a Salus Center hallway, O鈥橪eary (left) talks with McCracken, whose bandages match
O鈥橪eary鈥檚 following the 1987 fire.
