FILM ALULA WELCOMES MADELAINE PETSCH & GAVIN CASALEGNO ROMANCE CHASING RED TO ALULA
Gavin Casalegno Also Joins Cast for the First Project Under Film AlUla’s Partnership with Stampede Ventures
Film AlUla, the film agency of the Royal Commission for AlUla, welcomes Stampede Ventures’ Chasing Red to the spectacular locations of AlUla and its state-of-the-art studios, as principal photography begins for the highly anticipated romance feature in December.
Additionally, Madelaine Petsch (The Strangers) will play Veronica and Gavin Casalegno (The Summer I Turned Pretty) will play Caleb in Chasing Red – which marks the first project in Film AlUla’s landmark partnership with Stampede Ventures and its subsidiary Stampede Arabia. The collaboration will see a slate of four films well-suited for production at AlUla Studios, as well as a training scheme in place for knowledge-sharing and mentoring local talent.
Based on the young adult webnovel by Isabelle Ronin, Chasing Red centres around straight-A student Veronica and rich playboy Caleb, who are brought together by an unexpected series of events. The adaptation is being directed by Mackenzie Munro and Stampede’s Greg Silverman will serve as producer with Grant Torre alongside Webtoon Studios’ David Madden and Jason Goldberg while Gideon Yu, Jim Meenaghan, Elizabeth Bell, Michael Rifkin, Bjorn Hovland, and Aron Levitz will Executive Produce.
Phillip Jones, Chief Tourism Officer of the Royal Commission for AlUla, said: “Productions like Chasing Red contribute directly to the development of AlUla’s creative sector. They create jobs, build local capability, and expand international visibility for the destination at a time when global interest in AlUla is growing. They also help accelerate our investment in training and workforce development by giving emerging talent hands on experience with international crews.
This combination strengthens both the tourism economy and the wider creative ecosystem, and reinforces AlUla’s role as a place where creativity, opportunity, and economic impact come together.”
Throughout the production of Chasing Red, Stampede, in partnership with Gateway Entertainment, will deliver a comprehensive hands-on training initiative for 50 local participants in AlUla. The program combines classroom instruction, on-set experience, and departmental rotations across key film disciplines, preparing trainees for professional roles on future productions in the region.
In addition to Film AlUla’s cutting-edge studios, the production of Chasing Red will also utilise various AlUla locations, as well as AlUla’s leading facilities and hospitality that make it a world-class filming hub, from crew accommodations to end-to-end production support.
Zaid Shaker, Acting Executive Director of Film AlUla, said: “We are continuing to build on our commitment to become a premier destination for high-quality filmmaking by creating an environment that can do it all – from state-of-the-art studios to incredible locations and world class facilities. Chasing Red is a perfect example of how a project can utilise our full-service offering, whilst simultaneously working closely with us to provide key training opportunities to bolster the growing local film ecosystem. Since our first collaboration with Stampede on K-Pops, we’ve continued to nurture our successful partnership and now look forward to welcoming them back to AlUla and into our studios for the first time.”
Greg Silverman, CEO + Founder of Stampede Ventures, said “I am excited to continue our partnership with Film AlUla on Chasing Red. Mackenzie brings such an elevated, romantic vision to Isabelle Ronin’s captivating love story that developed an astounding following on Wattpad, and Madelaine and Gavin are the perfect actors to finally bring Veronica and Caleb’s story to audiences around the world.”
AlUla Studios is operated by The MBS Group, the world’s leading studio operator and production services provider, to exclusively manage and operate the state-of-the-art AlUla Studios. The complex features two fully equipped soundstages, each spanning 25,828 sq.
ft., and supported by 17,761 sq. ft. of dedicated production buildings. Designed as a full-service production ecosystem, the studio includes construction workshops, set offices, prop shops, wardrobe and costume spaces, catering facilities, and expansive backlot areas offering near-limitless potential for bespoke set builds.
In addition to its core production infrastructure, the complex boasts world-class audio capabilities, including a recording studio designed to accommodate a 32-piece orchestra with advanced acoustic treatment. Complementary facilities include training and rehearsal spaces, administrative offices, and event areas.
