Poster for the upcoming film “Debutantes.”
Contributed
PADUCAH — Paducah will soon be the filming location for a new horror thriller set in the South, centered on a story of revenge.
Stephen Meier, a film director and writer from California, came down to Paducah a few weeks before the filming for his new movie “Debutantes” is set to begin. He will soon be joined by his cast and crew to start filming July 8. The film follows a group of southern debutantes, who — on the night of their big gala — hunt down a group of men in revenge for acts of violence done to one of their own.
“Essentially, these girls, we’re going to start with the pomp and circumstance of a beautiful, elegant debutante ball, chiffon gowns, white gloves, the waltz,” Meier said. “Then we’re gonna contrast that to the girls chasing the guys through the woods on ATVs with crossbows.”
Meier said he wrote the script for this movie over 15 years ago. In October 2025, they began casting young actors from Los Angeles, Kentucky, Australia and elsewhere. From July 8 to Aug. 6, filming begins in Paducah, Calvert City and Graves County.
Meier said he has been looking for years for a good place to film the movie, and settled on Kentucky due to its tax incentives for filmmakers. Meier said many other productions have moved out of the country, but he wanted to film a southern story in the South.
“Kentucky has really risen to the top as one of the best places to film in America,” Meier said. “A lot of people filmed down in the Louisville area, but we wanted something different.”
Stephen Meier is a film writer and director from California.
Harper Spaulding
Meier, who is working as writer, director and producer on the movie, said it has been staggering to manage each part of the filmmaking process. He said there is a lot to balance when it comes to casting, finding filming locations, and even securing catering.
Paducah, Meier said, has been very welcoming and helpful in the production. Meier recently had dinner with Paducah Mayor George Bray, who offered his help in the filming. Through his interactions with Paducah residents, he learned about actress Laura Dority, a Paducah native who will also star in the film.
A key theme for this movie, Meier said, is retribution and dealing with sexual assault. Meier said he started writing the script for this movie after his former girlfriend was assaulted, something for which she never got justice. Meier said sexual assault is a major and unreported issue in the country, and something he wants to shed light on.
“I talk with my actors all the time about why I wrote it, so that they understand the true importance of this,” Meier said. “Then sometimes they open up and share their stories with me, and that’s hard.”