BY BELINDA BREMNER
Brenda Sexton, former executive managing director of GVA Williams Real Estate Services, was recently appointed as the new managing director of the Illinois Film Office. The announcement was made on Monday, April 4 by Jack Lavin, director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. More in the next issue of Performink.
Barbershop II will begin to roll around mid-July. Currently, they are searching for a new director since Tim Storey left to take a job with Dreamworks. Local talent Juan Ramirez, who recently put out Israel In Exile, is working on a new indy entitled Weeds. There is scouting in the air for projects such as Spikes with Paul and Mira Sorvino as well as a portion of Shall We Dance.
Congratulations to young Max Hirsch from Arlene Wilson. Jane Alderman got him a cushy gig on the Universal pilot "About A Boy." (Yes, it’s based on the Hugh Grant film, which was based on the book by Nick Hornby). At 11 years old, Hirsch has landed a plum lead role. Alderman is currently conducting a search for the UPN Paramount pilot "Old School." (Yes, it’s also based on the movie. No, there is nothing new.)
Claire Simon Casting has been conducting a search for Rose and the Snake, an IFC feature starring Daniel Day Lewis and written and directed by his wife, Rebecca Miller. They also just returned from New York City, where they were conducting further casting for Belzer’s Science. Also in the works is casting for the ABC pilot "These Guys." Commercial castings include a television voice-over for Sears and a Hardees spot for which Beth Lacke and Paul Veltan were booked.
O’Brien-Lauer Casting has worked recently on "The Dating Show" which, guess what, is a new prime time reality dating show for NBC. They are also conducting a search for a four-and-a-half to six-year-old Asian girl for the CBS pilot "Crazy Love" starring Peter McNichol.
And Tenner Paskal Rudnicke has been working on projects for Allstate, Lakewood Homes, Hoosier Lottery, Wisconsin Dells, Simplicity Lawnmowers, Acuvue and Gatorade. The NBC pilots are winding down. They just finished casting for the Whoopi Goldberg pilot, as well as pilots for Howie Mandel and Tracy Morgan. Other pilots included "Touch 'Em All McCall" and "Once Around the Park." For the ABC pilot "Platonically Incorrect," Stephanie Childers, Rebecca Spence and Beth Lacke were flown out to Los Angeles. Now the efforts are being directed towards Morgan Freeman’s MGM feature Straight Up!
And Lily’s reports that there were commercial bookings for Caroline Gehrke, Emma Taylor Neistat, Dwight Sowa and Joey Trellenberg. Industrials went to Jeanette Wiggins, Karen Yates, Erika Winters and Valerie Glowimski. Dan Lougheed and Corey Blount booked voice-overs. And Bradley Gabbert, Danny Pudi, Andrew Hibbard and Joe Sherman were booked in an independent film.
Peace.