Roll out the red carpet!

Hollywood is coming to the Hollywood Theater in Dormont on July 30 for the world premiere of the action-adventure-romantic comedy Poor Paul.

The film’s producer and one of its stars is Mt. Lebanon native Nick Pasqual, who grew up on Shady Lane and now lives in Los Angeles.

“There’s no other place I’d rather premiere Poor Paul than my hometown of Pittsburgh,” Pasqual said. “I still consider myself a Lebo kid.”

Filmed in 13 days, the movie takes place around the world, but was actually shot in Rhode Island and Los Angeles.

“With independent film making, you have to really think outside the box,” Pasqual said.

Poor Paul is based on a web series that Pasqual’s colleagues produced in 2008 and 2009. The film tells the story of Paul, a socially awkward college student who lives vicariously through his hero fantasies. After inheriting 500,000 frequent flier miles, he takes his roommates on a trip around the world only for them to find themselves held hostage by an Italian father, hell-bent on his daughter marrying an American.

“It’s a very ambitious movie,” he said.

Though his acting credits are extensive, this was Pasqual’s first time producing. He’s very familiar with the creative side of filmmaking. This experience taught him a lot about the business side.

“I learned a much greater appreciation for the entire process,” he said.  “It was really enlightening to see it every step along the way.”

Pasqual made the decision to become an actor at the age of 13, something he says his parents fully supported. “They always have been and always will be my number one fans,” he said.

In addition to acting as executive producers for Poor Paul, Pasqual’s parents, Susan and H. Paul, Shady Lane, also appear in the movie.

Pasqual became a celebrity at Mellon Middle School after he appeared in a JayWalking segment of  The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and was mentioned in a Mt. Lebanon Magazine article.

He attended school in Mt. Lebanon until his freshman year of high school when he switched to cyber school, allowing him to go back and forth between Pittsburgh and Los Angeles until, at the urging of his acting coach, he moved to LA permanently.

In addition to Poor Paul, his numerous acting credits include the Netflix series Archive 81, How I Met Your Mother, National Day Riff and America’s Most Wanted.

Pasqual is excited to hold the premiere of Poor Paul in a local, independent theater. He looked at the big theater chains, but wanted to support a local theater.  “Dormont is Mt. Lebanon’s neighbor,” he said, “and the Hollywood Theater has so much history within those walls.”

Since Pasqual is still securing distribution, premiere night at the Hollywood Theater is the only time and place you’ll be able to see Poor Paul for now. He hopes that will change by the end of the summer.

The film’s director Sean Michael Beyer said he’s “excited for audiences to see independent films made with heart and soul instead of millions of dollars.”

Pasqual has multiple projects in development and hopes one of them will be filmed in Pittsburgh.

In the meantime, Poor Paul is his focus. “It’s a fun, wild ride.  Come take it with us,” he said.