Myths grow over time. So do ideas, and this one led to a feature film being produced in our area.

The legend of Sasquatch is known and shared throughout the world. Trinity, Texas is…not as well-known…but Terry Weaver’s film, The Beast of Trinity Texas, aims to change that. The feature will begin filming in September 2024 in Trinity County, and Weaver is certain the movie will play a big part in putting this small town on the map. It’s a movie that is over 20 years in the making, with the friendship of two veterans bringing it together.

“This actually started back in 2002 or 2003, when my friend Trevor Guerra and I were serving as navy corpsmen. We were stationed with the marines, and we were deployed in Iraq. We are just really good buddies; over a couple of decades, he and I lost track of each other for about 10 years. He went off and did some missionary work. I went into sales and got a couple of degrees. He went into education. We reunited seven years ago. I had gotten into film, and he was going to film school. He also has a doctorate in education, but he’s interested in film. We started talking about doing a project. I was wrapping up a TV project last year. I said, ‘If there’s ever going to be a time, now’s the time.’”

Weaver was coming off acting in a series called Breaking Strongholds from 2019-2023. He was also cast as a villain in Parallel – The Triad in 2023 and King Alentius in Sword of Alentius, which filmed in spring and summer of this year.

Once Weaver and Guerra decided to come together for a project, Weaver began writing the script, an adventurous fictional tale that will leave audiences filled with hope. He also signed on as the executive producer. Guerra is the film’s director, which is the role responsible for the story’s creative vision.

“We’re making a really military-centric film with this wild, mythic element to it, which is Sasquatch. Our goal is to entertain people. That’s the number one goal. Below that, there is going to be a very meaningful story, and we both agree it will encourage veterans. We’ve each gone through our own struggles, battling our own demons,” said Weaver. “Some of that is regular-life stuff, but some of it is military. I’ve recovered from a pretty bad drinking habit. We’re going to implement some of our life stories into this fictional tale–and by the end of it, we know it’s going to encourage veterans and law enforcement officers. They’re going to be very entertained while we’re telling this story of hope, family reconciliation, and adventure.”

Over the years, Weaver has become familiar with Trinity when driving his children to summer camp there. When he and his team began scouting locations for their movie, this small town and its powerful name came to mind.

“Trinity stood out to me for spiritual reasons; I love the name, and I love God. I love The Trinity. I just thought it was beautiful that there’s a city in Texas called Trinity. The motto there is ‘the city of prayer’,” he said.

Earlier this year, with a story in hand and a location in mind, Weaver and Guerra began contacting Trinity city officials to get their involvement and support. They wanted to honor those in authority in the community, so they started with the sheriff’s department, city council, mayor, and city manager. They’ve been delighted with the response they’ve received from the community. When the film comes out, those familiar with the city will recognize many of the locations, including the areas around the courthouse and sheriff’s department.

“The pieces have been coming together, not falling into place,” Weaver said. “I don’t want to make it sound like it’s been easy, because we’ve been working hard. There’s a scripture in Matthew 7:7. It says, ‘Ask and it will be given to you, knock and the door will be answered, seek and you will find.’ That’s come true in this film journey so far.”

In addition to being a veteran, actor, and movie producer, Weaver has also been a pastor, written five books, and founded an organization for veterans. He attributes becoming a writer to his wife, who encouraged him to pursue this calling. She’s been supportive of his drive to chase what he calls the ‘wild idea’ of producing a film. He’s also gathered insight from the writings and teachings of filmmakers, authors, and screenwriters such as Robert Rodriguez, Syd Field, Robert McKee, and John Truby. His desire to help others has been an inspiration throughout his life and even now, as he embarks into the world of filmmaking.

“I was always a dreamer,” he said. “Not to be completely altruistic, but I’ve always dreamt of doing big things and impacting people. I feel like that’s my purpose.”

The Beast of Trinity Texas tells the story of a small town that finds itself in the center of a murder mystery.  “I like murder mysteries, because they’re the most intriguing story – they come with the highest stakes. Anytime there’s life and death stakes, it raises the ante for anyone who is in the story, and who is watching the story,” said Weaver. “There’s a murder in the town. The sheriff is a former homicide detective from Houston. He made some mistakes when he was a detective. He moved away to this small town of Trinity. He ran for sheriff, and he got the position. His idea is to kind of coast it out until retirement and do as little as possible. He has some hangups. In the midst of that, there’s this horrific murder–and they can’t figure out what’s going on.”

While the sheriff wants to believe the murder has nothing to do with anything other than natural events, he has to come to grips with the fact that something quite unusual has occurred when the government gets involved.

“Over the course of the story, it becomes more and more likely that there is some kind of beast involved. A lot of things come to light. There are a lot of big twists in the story,” said Weaver.

The power of stories has been an intriguing topic for Weaver. He’s done a significant amount of research on the effects that media has on people, particularly children. According to Weaver, the best part about this film journey will come when people see it and leave hopeful and inspired, with smiles on their faces.

Casting is nearly complete, with the majority of the film’s core cast in place. In addition, over 110 individuals have requested a spot as an extra in the film. The movie’s filming will begin September 30, 2024.

“We have probably 70 percent of our locations found. I’ve acted with most of the core cast,” he said. “These are people I’ve gone to acting school with or been on projects with. I couldn’t be more excited about the cast!”

Filming is set to wrap up on November 6th. The film will then enter postproduction–which includes editing, sound mixing and the score. This process will take six months, and then the film will be ready for professional distribution. Weaver predicts it will be ready for release, although not necessarily released, by summer 2025.

“We’ll have a local premier to give back and show the film off to the people that have helped us,” he said.

Now that Weaver is about to see his story come to life, he’s excited for what the future holds for the movie; for his future as a writer, actor, and producer; and for Trinity. He sees the film bringing visitors from around the world to come and experience the place where The Beast of Trinity Texas was created.

“I would love for our following to spread the word about the film. I would imagine it’s going to benefit Trinity County greatly to spread the message. Let’s make Trinity a well-known Texas county,” said Weaver. “Let’s make The Beast of Trinity Texas a buzzword. There’s a very important storyline that’s going to come through this film.”

For more information about The Beast of Trinity Texas, visit thebeastoftrinitytexas.com and follow their social media for updates.