ROLL 'EM! A casting call is out in the Little Rock area for a sequel to the popular faith-based film, God's Not Dead. The full-length, low-budget feature movie, God's Not Dead 2, will film for five weeks beginning in early June.
Directors are seeking 18- to 20-year-olds to play high school students (no one under 18 will be accepted), those 40 and older to portray educational and legal-related employees, and a diverse array of community members, including senior citizens and those with disabilities.
The film, which will include several known actors and about 300 locals, revolves around a heated, religious-based legal case involving a popular high school history teacher, The Agency in Little Rock says in a post on its Facebook page.
Those interested in being actors, extras, photo doubles or stand-ins should apply as soon as possible online at arfilmcasting.com or by mailing a brief bio with their names, ages, contact information and a current, nonreturnable photo to: GND2 casting, 802 W. Eighth St., Little Rock, AR 72201.
CRUISE TO MENA: Speaking of movies, actor Tom Cruise, known for action movies such as the Mission: Impossible series, is shooting the drug-trade thriller Mena in Atlanta. The film, directed by Doug Liman (Mr. & Mrs. Smith, The Bourne Identity, Swingers), is based on the story of the late Barry Seal, who smuggled cocaine and other drugs into the United States, including to Mena. After being arrested in 1984 in Florida, Seal became an informant for the Drug Enforcement Administration and worked with the CIA, taking part in a covert operation regarding the Medellin drug cartel in Colombia and the Sandinista government in Nicaragua. In 1986, Seal was killed by Colombians outside the halfway house he was assigned to in his hometown of Baton Rouge.
TUNING IN: ABC's prime-time drama Nashville had an Arkansan in its cast: Jonesboro native Kyle Dean Massey, who moved to New York City, where he's appeared in several Broadway and TV shows. He portrayed Kevin Bicks, an openly gay singer-songwriter. Massey joined the show in March for six episodes. The show concluded its season, but Massey may be returning when Nashville resumes in the fall.
BY THE BOOK: Former Little Rock resident Richard Martin, a Boulder, Colo.-based writer and analyst on energy, technology and foreign affairs, has a new book out. Coal Wars: The Future of Energy and the Fate of the Planet, was recently published by Palgrave Macmillan. He earlier wrote SuperFuel, which chronicles the thorium power movement. Martin is the editorial director at Navigant Research, a clean-energy research and analysis firm. He's also served as a contributing editor of Wired, feature writer for Fortune and energy blogger for Forbes.com. His parents, Joann and Garth Martin, still live in Little Rock.
Contact Linda S. Haymes at (501) 399-3636 or [email protected]
SundayMonday on 05/24/2015