College Station’s Hullabaloo Diner set to hit the big screen next year

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) - The owners of Hullabaloo Diner have done it again! The diner is hitting the big screen after already being featured on Food Network and in a music video.

The diner was recently used for a scene in an upcoming movie called “The Long Game,” and it has some Hollywood names attached. It’s starring Dennis Quaid and Jay Hernandez. You may recognize Quaid from works like “The Parent Trap” and “The Intruder” and Hernandez from “Friday Night Lights and “Hostel.”

The diner’s co-owner Richard Risbon said it was an interesting experience for the diner to be a part of the film and see the behind-the-scenes components. Although, he still laughs when he thinks about receiving the initial call from producers and thinking it wasn’t real.

”First off, I thought it was a joke,” Risbon said. “They called back again and I began going like ‘who is this.’ So finally when I realized I didn’t recognize the voice and it was a real thing and it came to fruition, it was awesome.”

Producers described the diner as timeless and said it was a perfect fit for the film.

“The Long Game” producer Marla Quintana said the movie is about a group of young Mexican-American boys from Del Rio, Texas who were not allowed to play at a whites-only country club in the 1950′s. Although devastated, that didn’t stop them. The boys built their own golf course out of sticks and Coke cans and ended up winning a state championship.

The movie is based on a true story and touches on multiple topics, according to Quintana.

”It’s a really aspirational story about underdogs and love and hard subjects like racism and empowerment,” Quintana said.

Javier Chapa is also one of the movie’s producers and described it as an inspirational sports drama. He said this will be something for the entire family to watch because it’s an inclusive story that talks about identity.

”For us to be able to celebrate these Mexican-American underdogs from Del Rio, Texas, we can’t find a sort of more timely, important story to tell,” Chapa said.

He said it was also exciting to bring the movie to Aggieland. Chapa said he was inspired to go into movie production during his time at Texas A&M.

“The Long Game” is expected to be released in 2023.

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