SAN DIEGO — Five films and nearly 50 years later, thinking about the history of the “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes” film franchise brings tears to writer and producer Steve Peace’s eyes.

The emotions struck Peace, 73, late at night at Davidson Street and Third Avenue in Chula Vista, where he sat with his wife, Cheryl, after filming a scene for “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: Organic Intelligence.” He realized that the original film in the franchise took just one truck for equipment and other movie-making supplies. Now he was up to seven or eight.

“It was that moment it kind of hit me,” said Peace, who now lives in Rancho San Diego. “I turned to Cheryl … and I just said, ‘It doesn’t matter if we make a penny. Best thing we ever did.’”

The new film, the fifth since the original in 1978, debuted for a one-night advance screening on Feb. 20 at the USS Midway Museum. On Friday, the film has its wider release in select theaters across the country, including several in San Diego County.

“Attack of the Killer Tomatoes,” a comedy-horror movie filmed in San Diego and released worldwide, began with a student film at UC Davis made by Peace, John De Bello and Costa Dillon. Peace and De Bello transferred to UCSD a couple of years later and, after graduating, revisited their award-winning student film to create what was the first film of the franchise out of San Diego.

Throughout decades of filmmaking, “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes” has led to an animated TV series, comic book and video games based on the movies. He said the franchise is a parody about tensions that existed during the time of the film, which may still be prevalent, and is intended to be unserious and funny.

Dillon, the cinema history buff of the three, according to Peace, thought of the tomatoes, but they’ve never determined why. Now, they use the food to tell what they hope are funny and enjoyable stories. Peace said there isn’t a deep philosophy to the movies, yet the franchise does tackle what can be perceived as controversial topics during each one’s time.

The fifth movie of the franchise, “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: Organic Intelligence,” tackles the concept of artificial versus organic intelligence. Peace, a producer, and Dillon, co-producer and writer, began the production process over two years ago at a time Peace believed “people are going to be ready to laugh again.”

“It’s a don’t-take-life-too-seriously movie,” Peace said. “Comedy is a high-risk business. … it’s a tricky job … we want to make a better movie that’s true to its roots. You’ll see it differently than I see it. Let the movie speak for itself.”

The movie was made with $2.8 million, funded by profits from the previous films and some of the team members’ own pockets, Peace said, including his son, Chad, who is president of IVC Media, which co-produced the movie. Peace said the challenge was managing a big cast with a low budget, but staying in San Diego helped their finances and kept them true to their roots.

“It’s who we are,” Peace said. “Everything about it is San Diego.”

They filmed scenes in Chula Vista, behind the Convention Center in downtown San Diego, Mission Bay and one in Anaheim. At least 50 crew members and production staff are locals, Peace said, including the leading actress Noor Razooky, who was born in El Cajon.

The second movie in the franchise, “Return of the Killer Tomatoes!,” which features the concept of product placement, was made with $600,000 in 1988 and features Oscar winner George Clooney in his early career. Peace said he learned from watching Clooney act and that he “saved that production.” The franchise relies heavily on actors being able to ad-lib, Peace said, for a spontaneously funny effect, and Clooney was exceptional.

Three years later, the third movie, “Killer Tomatoes Strike Back!,” which mocks mass media and television culture, followed, then an animated TV series by Fox Children’s Network aired in 1990, but was canceled a year later. Soon after, in 1992, came the fourth movie, “Killer Tomatoes Eat France!,” which contains exaggerated stereotypes of France, including berets and historical jokes.

Peace said he never thought his and his friends’ idea for a film in a college contest would make it this far. He called it an accident. After producing all five movies, the fifth is his final one, but he hopes it’s not the end for the series.

“Me? I’m not making any more movies,” Peace said. “It’s a labor of love, but it’s a business, and you’re trying to be successful in it.”

He’s passing the torch to another producer, Juan Hernandez of Chula Vista, who Peace said is smart and funny — a key combination to executing the premise of the movies.

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