‘Paradise City’ was almost named after a different classic rock song
Last week, American Satan fans got their first taste of the film’s series spinoff with a brand new trailer. Since being released on May 1, the Paradise City teaser has earned over 4 million views. Due to the trailer’s success, the show’s creator is sharing some behind-the-scenes secrets about Paradise City.
Ash Avildsen, Sumerian Records founder and creator of American Satan, is sharing why Paradise City almost didn’t happen and what the series was originally going to be called.
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Set to premiere later this year, Paradise City is the series spinoff for the 2017 film American Satan. The supernatural musical thriller starred Andy Biersack (his vocals performed by Palaye Royale‘s Remington Leith), Asking Alexandria‘s Ben Bruce, Twilight‘s BooBoo Stewart and more.
After the success of American Satan, Avildsen decided to return to his original idea of a television series which we know now as Paradise City. Now, he is revealing why the show almost didn’t happen and what caused him to create the American Satan film first.
“When I first started writing the series now known as Paradise City, I stopped in my tracks because HBO released Vinyl and Showtime released Roadies,” he shares. “I thought ‘well there it went..I guess I’ll just work on a rock & roll movie instead’ which then became American Satan.”
Roadies was created and directed by Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous) and starred Machine Gun Kelly, Luke Wilson and more. Roadies also had various guest stars including Halsey and Pearl Jam‘s Eddie Vedder. The Vinyl creators included Mick Jagger and Martin Scorsese and starred Olivia Wilde, Jack Quaid (The Hunger Games) and more.
However, it was a sudden twist of events that gave him the confidence and drive to make Paradise City happen.
“After Vinyl and Roadies, with massive budgets and some of the biggest and best writers/directors/producers in all of Hollywood, were canceled after the first season,” he shares. “I thought three things. One, I can now try again to make the first scripted drama tv show based inside rock n roll music culture and industry. Two, there’s no way the gatekeepers will green light it because those other shows didn’t find a big enough audience. And I’m too small time of a filmmaker.”
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He also reflects back on his decision to start Sumerian Records despite people telling him it wouldn’t happen.
“I will do it the hard way as everyone tells me I’m crazy to try and break the rules,” he says. “Just like I was told when I started Sumerian Records in a tiny bedroom during the worst time in the history of the record business.”
In the post, he also shares why he decided to name Paradise City after the Guns N’ Roses song.
“Thanks to my brother @tomzutaut [Tom Zutaut] for convincing me to call it Paradise City,” he says. “He’s the legend himself that signed both Guns N’ Roses and Mötley Crüe. I’ll never forget hanging at the Hard Rock in Lake Tahoe, living in a hotel before I had my sanctuary up here when I was gonna call it “Paint It Black” and you made the case for PC. I listened.”
Biersack, Culpo, Stewart and Bruce are reprising their American Satan roles in Paradise City. Joining them in the series are Juliet Simms, Bella Thorne, Sleeping With Sirens‘ Kellin Quinn, Asking Alexandria‘s James Cassells and more. The series’ lead character is played by the late Cameron Boyce who passed away suddenly in July 2019. His character Simon Ostergaard is one of his final roles before his death.
It was revealed last week that a portion of Paradise City‘s profits will be donated to the Cameron Boyce Foundation in the late actor’s honor.
The first official trailer for season one of Paradise City is available to view below.
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