CLEVELAND — Two feature films are coming to film in Cleveland, and directors are looking for thousands of paid extras.
The first film, called “Cherry,” is based on a true story of a former army medic who struggles with opioid addiction after serving in Iraq, and his subsequent time he spent as a bank robber to support his drug addiction.
Directed by the Russo Brothers, it stars Bill Skarsgård from the "IT" movies and Tom Holland of "Spider-Man" fame. The film began shooting on Oct. 14 and will shoot through Dec. 10.
The second film, currently known as the "Untitled Fred Hampton Project,” is based on true events about Fred Hampton, the outspoken leader of the Chicago Black Panther Party and his formation of the Rainbow Coalition in the late 60s. The film is the account of unlikely groups uniting as allies to fight for a shared goal to combat racism and police brutality. Produced by Warner Bros., the move will film in Cleveland on Oct. 21 through Dec.18.
"We have 10,000 people in our database, so most movies are pretty easy, but these particularly have some difficult tasks, especially the Fred Hampton Project," local casting director Angela Boehm said. "We spent the entire weekend at Puerto Rican bakeries, barber shops, picnics, bars, Latino dancing clubs."
Historical and cultural accuracy, Boehm said, are important.
"You can’t fake that stuff," Boehm said. "We have to make people feel and make people think and make people understand, and to do that, we need those real cultures."
Extras could make anywhere from $9 to $13 per hour, depending on the position. Extras are guaranteed eight hours of pay on any days they are on set. If selected for the film, extras should make themselves available for the entire day.
Of casting, Boehm said "a few people look at you like you’re crazy, but the majority are very excited and think it’s really cool. If nothing else, it’s a bucket list."
To apply, all submissions should include a current photo in good lighting, one clear face photo and one head-to-toe photo. All photos should be without hats, sunglasses or other people in the photo.
If interested, click here and click "register" at the top of the page. Follow the steps to be entered into a free database to receive emails of all casting notices. Applicants can also visit the Angela Boehm Casting Facebook page, where casting notices are also posted with instructions on how to submit.
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