Ice Cube made his name as a pioneering rapper and Hollywood actor, but he has the heart of a true sports nut.”Football and basketball, I still act like a kid and a fan when it comes to those two sports,” the star said recently on the set of “Comeback,” just moments after rallying his padded co-stars to convert an onscreen third and long.
The Dimension Films football movie recently wrapped filming in Shreveport, La.
In “Comeback,” Ice Cube plays a former football star whose best days are long gone. He gets back on his feet by mentoring his niece (Keke Palmer). She quarterbacks her young team to the Pop Warner national football championships.
“They both find their spirit back through football,” said Ice Cube, who lined up at fullback and outside linebacker during his school days. “To come out here and blow a whistle and watch the kids play football all day, it’s been a ball.”
“Comeback” is based on a true story of a team from a poor Illinois town.
Like all movie productions shooting in northwest Louisiana (some 24 movie and TV productions were shot there last year), “Comeback” was lured by the state’s aggressive tax incentives for the movie industry.
“Hollywood has migrated to states that provide the lowest cost in production and maximum production value,” said Andy La Marca, executive producer of “Comeback.”
“Louisiana is tops, one of the tops, in the nation for providing highest incentive value.”
The biggest challenge for “Comeback” makers has been Louisiana’s inclement winter weather. Much of the movie has been filmed outdoors, and seven of 38 production days were rained out.
“That’s always a challenge for whatever film you make,” La Marca said. When weather doesn’t cooperate, productions move to indoor sets or soundstages.
Local residents Tela Nelson and Rhonda Tillman were spying on the stars from afar and noticed that they behaved like everyday people.
“They are so laid back,” Nelson said.
Tillman worked as a “Comeback” extra and asked Ice Cube to pose for a snapshot with her. He obliged.
The star said he’s encountered many fans in northwest Louisiana and at Shreveport’s casino restaurants.
“Fans who’ve been supporting me my whole career finally get a chance to see me and they want a picture, autograph, or just to say ‘Hey.’ It’s no bother,” Ice Cube said. “It’s just part of the game.”
