Life

Stepp's Hillcrest Orchard stars as setting for romcom

'10 Steps to Love' was filmed at Stepp's Hillcrest Orchard in Edneyville.

By Bill Moss, Published: December 3, 2021

Romcom fans who stumble on "10 Steps to Love" will find some familiar scenery.

The movie, now showing on the Roku streaming channell, was filmed at Stepp's Hillcrest Orchard, a U-pick apple farm in Edneyville. The movie is based on the story of Sophie Michaels, a marketing executive who has relied on her 10 steps for success in everything she does. She decides to create a 10 steps plan for love. She thinks she's found the right guy in the city — the movie was also filmed in Charlotte — but things change when she meets Mason Oliver, the grandson of a new client who owns the apple orchard.

The matriarch and patriarch could be Mike and Rita Stepp, who run the farm and agritourism business with extended family members who wear "Farm hand" T-shirts. But the Stepps never got time in front of the camera.

"They came out last summer and looked around and found this is the place to do it so they shot it last fall while we were open for business," Rita said. "They kind of worked around us to shoot the movie."

At one point family members and farm employees thought they might star as extras but it never worked out.

Stepp's Hillcrest Orchard in Edneyville is the setting for '10 Steps to Love'"They asked us would we like to be in the movie," she said. "They were going to shoot a party scene and they needed extras but they shot that about 4:30 in the morning."

"Some was shot in the apple house," she said. "They were around all the time. They were in here buying donuts. It was off and on. They would be here for a few days. Part of it was shot in Charlotte so they'd be gone to Charlotte for a few days. Then they'd come back for a few days."

The studio paid the Stepps for use of the property, although "we didn't get rich," Rita said. "We are in the credits."

The movie stars Ella May Cannon as Sophie, Britton Webb as Mason, Lexi Giovagnoli as Sophie's friend Gaby and Victoria Posey as Mason's grandmother, Adele.

Check out the movie trailer here.