Movie produced by New Albany man to premier on NBC December 10th UPDATED -

New Albany’s Hudson Hickman has told NAnewsweb.com that the success of Coat of Many Colors is “gratifying.” According to an article in Variety, the movie drew over 13 million viewers which was the biggest audience for an original movie on television since 2011.

“Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors” will premiere on NBC ( WTVA, Channel 9 on Maxx South) on Thursday, December 10th, at 8 p.m. Central time.

There are several Mississippians involved in this movie.

Hudson Hickman, a Union County native and current resident, is the producer of the movie. Hickman has worked for many years as a vice-president of MGM and recently returned to live in New Albany with Susan, his wife of 32 years. After working in Mississippi in 1976 on the movie treatment of Bobbie Gentry’s iconic hit song “Ode to Billy Joe,” Hickman moved to California, where he got an entry-level job in the motion picture industry. During a career that took him to positions of major management responsibility, Hickman worked with producers including Aaron Spelling and James L. Brooks.

“We’re very proud of the movie,” said Hickman, “It’s a family film and is faith-based.”

Sam Haskell, an executive producer, was born in Alabama and lived in Amory before making his home in Oxford. Haskel attended the University of Mississippi; he and Hickman have been friends for over 3 decades.

Gerald McRaney, of Designing Women fame, stars as young Dolly’s grandfather and is also a Mississippian. He was born in Collins, MS and attended Ole Miss. McRaney is married to actress Delta Burke.

ABOUT THE SHOW

On the red carpet at the premiere screening of Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors at Grauman’s Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, Wednesday evening, December 2.
L to R: Hudson Hickman, Producer; Dolly Parton, Executive Producer; Maysie Hoy, Film Editor; Sam Haskell, Executive Producer.

“Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors” is based on the inspiring true story of living legend Dolly Parton’s remarkable upbringing. This once-in-a-lifetime movie special takes place inside the tight-knit Parton family as they struggle to overcome devastating tragedy and discover the healing power of love, faith and a raggedy patchwork coat that helped make Parton who she is today.

The film is set in the Tennessee Great Smoky Mountains in 1955. It is neither a biopic nor a musical about Dolly’s whole life and performing career, but rather a family oriented faith-based story about the incidents in her and her family’s life around the time she was nine years old.

Alyvia Alyn Lind will portray nine-year-old Dolly Parton, with Jennifer Nettles as Parton’s mother, Ricky Schroder as her father and Gerald McRaney as her grandfather.

A scene from the movie in which Alyvia Alyn Lind portrays Dolly

“Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors” is written by Pamela K. Long. She executive produces with Sam Haskell and Dolly Parton. The film is a production of Magnolia Hill Entertainment and DP Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.

To see movie clips and Dolly Parton talking about the coat and the movie: Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors