Over the past two weeks movie goers have had the opportunity to see one of the biggest stars of the past 50 years on the big screen in several Henry County settings.

“The Mule” opened nationwide in mid-December starring Clint Eastwood, who also produced and directed the film. Although the 88-year-old icon has been very active behind the camera in recent years, this is his first starring role since the 2012 release “Trouble With The Curve,” part of which was filmed in Macon.

In the new film, based on a true story, Eastwood portrays an elderly man hired as a drug mule for a Mexican cartel, taking advantage of his appearance to drive easily across the country in his pickup truck delivering millions of dollars worth of illegal drugs.

The story is not set in Georgia, but Henry County doubled for an anonymous Midwestern town in two scenes and a nondescript stretch of country road in another.

For filming in unincorporated Henry County that requires special services such as temporary road closures and extra police presence, companies must obtain a special event permit from the Henry County Planning and Zoning Department. The permit in this instance was obtained in May and shooting took place June 14-15.

The first day’s activities resulted in two key scenes that will be instantly recognizable to local residents. The first one sees Eastwood’s character giving advice on what might be wrong with a woman’s motorcycle. The group of female motorcyclists identify themselves as Dykes on Bikes, which is an actual chartered group of lesbian motorcyclists with nearly two dozen chapters nationwide and other affiliates. The scene was filmed at a produce stand in the Kelley-town community near the intersection of Airline Road and Kelleytown Road.

In another scene, filmed at the original Shane’s Rib Shack on Hwy. 155 at East Lake Road, Eastwood’s character has lunch with two Mexican cartel members who are escorting him on a particular trip. While Shane’s is not mentioned by name, Eastwood smiles as he holds up his sandwich and proclaims, “Best pulled pork in the Midwest.” The servers in that scene were actual Shane’s employees.

The second day of shooting took place on Lower Woolsey Road just west of Hwy. 19/41 near Hampton and was identified on the permit as “the driving scene.” The location designated on the permit is a half-mile from the Atlanta Motor Speedway, but there is not a hint of that facility in the film itself.