Ed Helms, Paulina Alexis Join Hockey Dramedy ‘Smudge the Blades’ (Exclusive)

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Three artists are now part of the ensemble for the sports show, “Smudge the Blades“, penned and directed by Cody Lightning.

Actors such as Ed Helms from “The Hangover”, Paulina Alexis of “Reservation Dogs” and Jana Schmieding from “Rutherford Falls” are joining forces with Lightning in a new production that’s currently underway in Edmonton, Canada. The team is working towards premiering the film on the 2026 festival circuit.

In this version, I’ve tried to maintain the original structure while making it more conversational and easy to understand.

Smudge the Blades revolves around the Treaty 6 Blades, a youthful hockey team from an under-18 reservation, who are determined to make the most of their final year playing together as they navigate through the brutal league in northern Alberta.

In Canada, street hockey is more significant than high school football in Texas, asserts Lightning, famed for his part in Marvel’s Echo. “I feel deeply privileged to work with such an exceptional cast, enabling us to portray authentically the lives of Indigenous ice hockey players, both on and off the rink.

The movie extensively searched for young Native American hockey players to fill its roles. Eventually, Treycen Wuttunnee, Isaiah Kakepetum, River Rayne Thomas, Elijah James Lee Moar, Ezekiel James Mekanek, and Tyler Halcrow were chosen to complete the cast as the Treaty 6 Blades. Lightning is portrayed as Willie Gladue, a Zamboni driver who takes on coaching duties while also pursuing the affection of the hockey mom character played by Schmeiding.

In the sequel to his directorial debut, “Hey, Viktor!” – a 2023 Tribeca premiere and subsequent Toronto International Film Festival screening that garnered three Canadian Screen Awards nominations – Smudge the Blades is Lightning’s second feature film.

The makers of “Smudge the Blades” are Samuel Miller, Joshua Jackson, Kyle Thomas, Sara Corry, Hayley Morin, and Dylan Morin. This production is under Ice Pirates Productions Inc, with executive production handled by Helms and Mike Falbo for Pacific Electric Picture Company. Brett Harris takes charge of the film for Pacific Electric.

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2025-04-08 01:54