Birmingham film producers celebrate DVD release of surprise hit 'October Baby,' movie made in Alabama

By Greg Garrison, The Birmingham News

Birmingham-based filmmakers Jon and Andy Erwin, who co-produced and co-directed the surprise hit movie "October Baby," are celebrating its DVD release today.

The Erwin brothers will be at the Lifeway Christian Store at 1713 Montgomery Highway South today from 4 to 6 p.m. to meet fans and sign copies of the DVD and Blu-ray, which goes on sale nationally today.

The movie was filmed entirely in Alabama on a budget of about $800,000, Andy Erwin said.

It grossed $5,357,328 at the box office, according to the web site http://www.boxofficemojo.com/

After a brief opening to 14 theaters in October, the Erwins got backing from Provident Films and Samuel Goldwyn Films for a national release in March. Playing on only 390 screens, it finished in the top 10 on the same weekend "The Hunger Games" opened at No. 1 playing on 4,137 screens.

"For a little movie to do that kind of thing, it's turned some heads," Andy Erwin said. "It opened some doors out in Hollywood. It made the front page of The New York Times."

The movie's per-screen average on the March release weekend was third-highest behind "The Hunger Games" and "21 Jump Street."

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