BY BELINDA BREMNER
Work seems to be sprouting up again like all the little brave buds. But, like waiting for the blossoms, we'll have to wait a bit to learn who will be in the big films and indies shooting here. Lists should be ready for the next column, so hang tight.
What films will be following these? Wish I could tell you but the Illinois Film Office has gone very quiet in this new administration. No word even of the famous "definite maybes." We'll do our best to find new ways to keep you in the know.
Spring brings "ER" back to town and, as ever, Jane Alderman will be doing the casting.
Things are definitely hopping over at Tenner Paskal Rudnicke. We'll soon be hearing the details of casting for the Marc Forester and Will Ferrel/Dustin Hoffman/Queen Latifah/Emma Thompson feature Stranger Than Fiction. Look soon, too, for the casting for Bob Odenkirk's You're Going to Prison. The office is also casting for the independent film, Dust Clouds, and for two pilots "South Beach" and "I Hate Chris." Commercials are not being neglected. The office cast for Nexium, Scrubbing Bubbles and McDonald's. Booked for McDonald's were: Thomas McElroy, Naomi Armstrong, Eddie Martinez, Geraldo Cardenas, Julie Daley, Ricky Adams, Gabrielle Perez, Nick Phelan, Kyle Robinson, Sophia Traeder, China Travis, Alyssa Weisburg, Megan Wharrie, Mark Wilson and Nadia Howse.
Claire Simon Casting brings news of lots of commercial bookings. Booked for the May Company were: Nigel Echols, Tena Loveland, Abigail Droeger, Aspen Repp, Graham Repp, Jenah Stanley and Kiernan Shipka. They also cast spots for Nu Finish Scratch Doctor and Michigan Dental Association. They cast an industrial for Nokia. As a sign of the times, they cast an internet blog site for evanandgareth.com. Booked were Karissa Vacker, Susannah Collins, Danielle Sykes and Sonia Hassan. The office conducted searches for the MGM feature Yours, Mine, and Ours and the Sony feature Gridiron Gang. Final bookings for the Warner Brothers Sandra Bullock Keanu Reeves feature Il Mare include Mike Bacarella, Frank Caeti, Aliyah Carr, Scott Elias, Jennifer Kern, Brian McCartney, Cynthia McWilliams, Nora Newbrough, Lisa Pace, Mia Park, Peggy Roeder, Christian Stolte, Karen Vaccaro, Jean Villepique, Jason Wells and Jacqueline Williams. They also conducted searches for the pilots: "Best Laid Plans" and "Don't Ask" for Twentieth Century Fox; a Freddie Prinze Jr pilot and "The War at Home" for Warner Brothers, "Bow" for Touchstone and "Peter Dinklage Project" for ABC Touchstone. On the theatre front, they are casting Searching For Eden for Indiana Rep and I Can't Stop Loving You, The Music of Ray Charles.
More later.
Peace.