Hollywood legends headline Atlanta-filmed 'Queen Bees'

ATLANTA - Budding romance, mean girls, and extracurricular activities aren’t just for teenagers.

The new romantic comedy "Queen Bees" — premiering in theatres and on-demand today — features Academy Award winner Ellen Burstyn as the newest addition to a retirement community where the residents make even the most cutthroat high school look like child’s play! The film is set inside the fictional Pine Grove Senior Community, which is ruled by a trio of "Queen Bees" brought to vivid life by Emmy Award winners Jane Curtin, Loretta Devine, and Ann-Margret, and boasts some potential love interests in the form of acting legends James Caan and Christopher Lloyd.  

If Pine Grove looks familiar to viewers in metro Atlanta, there’s a good reason; "Queen Bees" was filmed in Georgia, mainly at Gwinnett County senior living community Parc at Duluth.  For Burstyn, known to audiences for her iconic turns in films like "Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore" and "The Exorcist," working inside the real-life retirement community was an eye-opening experience.  

"You know, it was such a beautiful place.  I must say, I didn't really realize there were such beautiful retirement homes," says Burstyn. "People there are having a very good time.  And there's a lot of couples formed like there are in our film."

For entertainment legend Ann-Margret, filming at Parc at Duluth also led to some unexpected reunions.

"I met some gentlemen that had seen me in Vietnam; I went to Vietnam in '66 and '68," says the actress and singer.  "You know, seeing them here in America, live...I loved it."

And if the film’s message that it’s never too late to start something new is true for the characters in "Queen Bees," it also proved true for the stars — especially when it comes to the competitive games of Bridge they played on-screen.

"We had classes," says Loretta Devine with a laugh. "So, they trained us to make sure that we were on-point because you know people be looking for you to mess up and show that you didn't know what you were doing!  So, we had classes for that, thank God because ... when it comes to Bridge, I'm just getting around to spelling it right!"

"I didn’t have a clue," adds Ann-Margret about playing the card game. "Not one!"

"Queen Bees" is in theatres and available on-demand today; click the video player to watch our interviews with the film’s stars.

WATCH: FOX 5 Atlanta live news coverage

_____

Sign up for FOX 5 email alerts

Download the FOX 5 Atlanta app for breaking news and weather alerts.