Pre-teenaged heroes and seaweed-covered villains clashed in a martial arts battle yesterday in Oakland Beach.

It was all part of the filming of a trailer for “Calico,” an upcoming film produced by local martial arts legend Don Rodrigues. Baxter Churchville, a Providence native and Narragansett resident, wrote the film and is directing it.

“Calico” stars two of the most talented young martial arts competitors in the country—Dayna Huor, 13, of Davenport, Iowa, and Tyler Weaver, 13, of Denver, Colo.

Both competitors have been featured on national television. Huor has performed on NBC's America's Got Talent, while Weaver has showcased some of his martial arts skills on the Oprah Winfrey Show.

Unlike most movies, where stunt doubles replace actors for the action scenes, Huor and Weaver will handle both the acting and the action. Rodriguez wanted to showcase that talent.

“Very few films you see don’t have action,” Rodrigues said. “We have a couple of the most actioned kids today. They are very good at what they do. They’re extremely talented.”

Rodrigues and Churchville plan to film “Calico” entirely in Rhode Island. Shooting for the film, which is low budget, will likely begin in August. Rodrigues projects the film budget at $50,000. He said the trailer made yesterday would be used in seeking investors.

“The people in Warwick have been extremely excited about it,” Rodrigues said, just before the film shoot began.

One reason the film is being made in the Ocean State is because of Rhode Island’s scenic shoreline, Churchville said.

The family film’s message is environmental conservation and protecting the ocean. Its plot revolves around a pair of children who find a sword that belongs to a sea goddess named Calico.

The children must keep the sword from falling into the hands of the “seaweeders,” who inhabit an underwater city kind of world that is not too much unlike the mythic city of Atlantis.

Although Rodrigues has been involved with the martial arts for 42 years, “Calico” is the first action movie in which he will oversee the entire production.

According to his son, Chris, he is one of the most highly regarded martial arts coaches in the country.

“He’s an authority figure in the martial arts world. He knows all the talent in the whole country, and they all know him,” Chris said. “He’s one of the only people on the planet who can go into any martial arts tournament and someone will know him.”

The Rodrigues family is in on the filmmaking too.

Rodrigues's wife, Christine, is choreographing the fight scenes and has the task of getting the most out of the actors that she can.

Christine is no novice; she has been doing martial arts for 30 years, and has appeared in her share of movies. Christine was Hilary Swank's stunt double in “The Next Karate Kid” and also Alicia Silverstone's stunt double in “Batman & Robin”—“Alicia Silverstone couldn’t do a split,” Rodrigues said.

Dante Rodriguez, Don’s son, plays a buddy of the protagonists.

Rodrigues, who started the Ocean State Grand National Tournament 29 years ago, knows how that building an action movie franchise will take time.

“I’m a firm believer that you have to start somewhere … I know how to build,” he said.

A Warwick native, Don says he’s pleased to have been able to keep his projects local.

“I’m just really happy to bring it here in Warwick. We’re trying to keep everything here.”

Once this film is completed, Rodrigues says he has a sequel and other projects in mind. He anticipates an active year in 2010.

“We’re looking to do bigger and better films as we move on.”