inspired , I broke out the headphones , threw in the Black Label Society and started writing more story lines for those characters , interwoven with the story already in the Trilogy .
In 2007 I got pregnant with my youngest son Sakiel and spent the early months of 2008 in the hospital . My health was bad for a few years after that so I wrote more . I completely revamped all the out dated dialogue and cleaned up the scripts . I discussed things with my husband and business partner Stephen Ronsonette . We decided we should start looking for locations for sets and let things fall in to place . Rather than to try to raise money to shoot a film , we ’ d put together a package for the entire Trilogy . We found more than we hoped . We even found a way to purchase the bar we use in the series in 2011 .
With a script ready to go and everyone cast except Lugh , I had enough characters to actually put together some back story to the very first feature film for The Cursed … a “ prequel ” so to speak . Almost all the cast was now not only in order , but most everyone was actually working at the bar in some capacity or another . We were set and ready to go , using Lugh only as a character the other lead male Zeke , talks to on the phone … we thought it would give a mysterious nature to the character and set up his big into in the actual first feature film . That ’ s when a huge storm and a leaky old roof , combined to burn the club down and put us , and the film , out of business for the better part of a year .
Back open in 2013 and ready to go , a guy walks through the door that was a local here who had been away doing modeling in NYC . He heard about us needing a lead character and wanted to take the role . He was nothing like what I wanted . But I was desperate . We started prepping to film .
Here ’ s where things started to go 10 directions at once .
We couldn ’ t get a single sequence finished any time we shot Lugh ’ s scenes . The guy playing him would take 15 takes for a single line of dialogue . He didn ’ t seem to be able to read the script or deliver any lines clearly . Then we found out he had dyslexia . So the scenes were being read to him . He was drinking heavily and not being able to stay straight long enough to complete a day ’ s filming . I was distraught . The only thing worse than this guy ’ s acting was the drama that came along with him .
I fired the guy and came back to sit in front of the computer and stare at the script . I had been trying to get in contact with anyone who could put me in touch with Zakk Wylde , the driving force behind the music I wrote The Cursed to . I was finally on the right track and thought I was gonna have a viable project to offer him . I wanted him to be the music behind the series . Now I was back at square one with only a script and hours of useless footage . I checked my email and there was the fax number that would put The Cursed in the hands of his manager Blasko . I can ’ t even tell you how I was feeling .
My husband brought me some tea in my favorite Scooby Do mug to comfort me . We sat there silent , staring at the number on the screen . He said , “ If you have one shot Shea , this is it . We can ’ t blow it by not having a package if they bite .” At that moment I looked up at God and said out loud , “ Where am I supposed to find a big long haired white guy with a Celtic accent ?”. Exactly that instant , my son Sakiel came through the office door with a DVD in his hand and said , “ Look Mom , Stanton got me a Scooby movie with WWE … like on the video game !”. Stephen and I looked at one another . We both turned to the computer . I went to youtube and typed in “ Men of WWE ”. The third video down was a guy in a kilt with long brown hair . I clicked on it .
It was Drew McIntyre . Immediately , I was opposed because the last name was the same as the guy who I had just fired that night . But Steve was adamant . He made me watch … I couldn ’ t believe my eyes . It was Lugh … living breathing and speaking in front of my face . It was the face I had seen all those years ago when I created the character … even though Drew was probably only 4 or 5 in Scotland back then . His voice was the voice I had heard when I wrote every word for the last 3 decades . I thought , “ Could this be why I had said no to all the other casting choices ?”