“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn" Production and Casting Updates

It's official! “THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN” production has been greenlit and I now have the latest free auditions information. Breaking Dawn will be made into two films shot back-to-back starting in November, 2010. The filming locations and exact dates for the acting auditions have not been confirmed.

The Breaking Dawn Director has yet to be officially announced, however sources say that Gus Van Sant has signed on. Van Sant's directing schedule fits perfectly, as he will wrap filming on "Restless" (which is being produced by Bryce Dallas Howard and currently shooting in Portland until January 3rd, 2010) before Breaking Dawn I goes into production, and he is not set to film anything else until 2011 - after Breaking Dawn II would wrap production.

A new production company, Sunswept Entertainment, has been brought on board for Breaking Dawn. Sunswept Entertainment was created by Karen Rosenfelt, who is the daughter of former MGM Chairman & CEO Frank Edward Rosenfelt. Karen Rosenfelt served as Producer on both "Twilight" and on “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse". She did not work on "New Moon", but is producing "Breaking Dawn through her Sunswept Entertainment banner.

There will likely be massive acting auditions and a talent search for the role of Renesmee Cullen, the half-vampire, half-human daughter of Edward Cullen and Bella Swan, just as there was through Actorcast for the roles of Seth and Leah Clearwater in "Eclipse". Many other new roles are also to be cast, as there are a large number of additional vampire characters in Breaking Dawn.

See the post titled Photo and Resume Information regarding how to submit for Breaking Dawn acting auditions.

Submit photos and resumes to Breaking Dawn Casting Directors by mail only.
No phone calls or personal drop-offs .

Breaking Dawn Principal Actor Casting Director (Los Angeles, CA):

I will post the new Creaking Dawn Casting Director's info as soon as the actual acting auditions casting process begins, due to the fact that far too many people ignore what I say and send in their photos and resumes before they are actually accepting submissions.

Breaking Dawn Extras Casting:

TBA

Production Companies:

Do NOT send photos and resumes to the production companies (they will most likely end up in the trash can), they do not cast the films. They hire casting directors who sort through the thousands of submissions and call in talent for the film auditions.

Summit Entertainment LLC
1630 Stewart Street
Suite 120
Santa Monica, CA 90404

Sunswept Entertainment
124 S. Lasky Drive
1st Floor
Beverly Hills, CA 90212

Imprint Entertainment
100 Universal City Plaza
Bungalow 7152
Universal City CA 91608

Producers:

Karen Rosenfelt
Wyck Godfrey
Patrick Wachsberger
Robert Friedman
Erik Feig

Writer:

Melissa Rosenberg

Cast:

Robert Pattinson - (Confirmed)
Kristen Stewart - (Confirmed)
Taylor Lautner - (Confirmed)

Story:

To be irrevocably in love with a vampire is both fantasy and nightmare woven into a dangerously heightened reality for Bella Swan. Pulled in one direction by her intense passion for Edward Cullen, and in another by her profound connection to werewolf Jacob Black, she has endured a tumultuous year of temptation , loss, and strife to reach the ultimate turning point. Her imminent choice to either join the dark but seductive world of immortals or pursue a fully human life has become the thread from which the date of two tribes hangs. Now Bella has made her decision; a startling chain of unprecedented events is about to unfold with potentially devastating and unfathomable consequences.

Auditions for Robert Pattinson / Reese Witherspoon feature film "Water for Elephants"

Fox 2000 Pictures and Flashpoint Entertainment are in pre-production for the feature film "Water for Elephants" which will pair Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon. The film is being directed by Francis Lawrence, who is also set to direct "Snow and the Seven" for Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Casting for supporting roles are now underway, and filming is set to begin May 22, 2010 in Los Angeles.

See the post titled Headshot and Resume Information regarding how to submit for acting roles.

Please submit photos and resumes by mail only.
No phone calls or personal drop-offs.

Principal Actor Casting Director:

Denise Chamian
1438 N. Gower Street
Building 35
Stuite 270
Hollywood, CA 90028

Extras Casting:

TBA

Production Companies:

Do NOT send photos and resumes to the production companies (they will most likely end up in the trash can), they do not cast the films. They hire casting directors who sort through the thousands of submissions.

FOX 2000
10201 W. Pico Blvd.
Building 78
Los Angeles, CA 90035

Gil Netter Productions
1645 Abbott Kinney Blvd.
Suite 320
Venice, CA 90291

Flashpoint Entertainment
9150 Wilshire Blvd.
Suite 247
Beverly Hills, CA 90212

Producers: Andrew Tennenbaum, Gil Netter, Erwin Stoff

Director: Francis Lawrence

Starring:

Reese Witherspoon
Robert Pattinson
Christoph Waltz

Story:

As a young man, Jacob Jankowski was tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It was the early part of the great Depression, and for Jacob, now ninety, the circus world he remembers was both his salvation and a living hell. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It was there that he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great gray hope for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and, ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.

Auditions and Open Casting Call for HBO Mini-Series "Mildred Pierce" starring Kate Winslet

John Wells Productions is currently holding auditions for the upcoming Home Box Office Mini-Series "Mildred Pierce" to be filmed from April 12, 2010 through June 1, 2010 in the New York city area. In addition to the principal actor auditions, the extras casting company will be holding an open casting call in Peekskill, New York for background actors to appear in numerous scenes in the film that will be shot there.

Open Casting Call Details

This open call is for residents of the Peekskill, NY and surrounding areas ONLY.

Seeking SAG and Non-Union men and women who have a 1930s, classic look. Women must have hair that is shoulder length or shorter and natural colored - no highlights. Men must be willing to have their hair cut in a 1930s period style.

Where:

Paramount Center for the Arts
1008 Brown Street
Peekskill, NY 10566
Click Here for directions.

When:

Saturday, March 27, 2010
11:00am - 2:00pm

If you are unable to attend the open casting call, you may email your photo and contact information to the following:

mildredpierce@gwcnyc.com

Please write "Peekskill Extras" in the subject line.

Additional Roles Being Cast (New York City area):

SAG or Non-Union Latino and Caucasian men, ages 25-50 with actual restaurant kitchen experience. Specifically busboy and short order cook experience. This is a diner setting so no need for fancy French restaurant background experience. This is a period show set in the 1930s so you must be comfortable allowing production to give you a period appropriate haircut.

Email a current photo and contact info to the following:

mildredpierce@gwcnyc.com

Write “Real Restaurant Kitchen Staff” in the subject line. Please also include your experience - number of years and types of restaurants or diners you have worked in. This will be a multiple day commitment so you must have a flexible schedule. If you are NON-SAG you may be eligible for SAG waivers.

Principal Actor Casting:

See the post titled Headshot and Resume Information regarding how to submit for acting roles.

Please submit photos and resumes by mail only.
No phone calls or personal drop-offs.

Laura Rosenthal
401 Broadway
Suite 711
New York, NY 10013

Production Companies:

Do NOT send photos and resumes to the production companies (they will most likely end up in the trash can), they do not cast the films. They hire casting directors who sort through the thousands of submissions and call the actors for auditions.

John Wells Productions
4000 Warner Blvd.
Building 1
Burbank, CA 91522

Killer Films, Inc.
526 W. 26th Street
Suite 715
New York, NY 10001

Pie Wagon Pictures, Inc.
15 Washington Ave.
Suite 2602
Brooklyn, NY 11205

Producers: Christine Vachon, Pamela Koffler, John Wells, Ilene Landress

Director: Todd Haynes

Starring:

Kate Winslet
Guy Pearce
Evan Rachel Wood

Story:

Mildred Pierce had gorgeous legs, a way with a skillet, and a bone-deep core of toughness. She used those attributes to survive a divorce and poverty and to claw her way out of the lower middle class. But Mildred also had two weaknesses: a yen for shiftless men, and an unreasoning devotion to a monstrous daughter.

FOX Searchlight James Franco feature film Actors Auditions for "127 Hours"

127 hours is an upcoming true-story film directed by Danny Boyle and with screenwriter Simon Beaufoy who previously teamed up to make the Academy Award winner movie Slumdog Millionaire. Filming is expected to run from March 8, 2010 through April 30, 2010, with Fox Searchlight releasing it in time for awards season in late 2010.

Shooting is to take place in Utah and other locations. Some shooting will take place in Bluejohn Canyon near Hanksville, UT where the true story took place. Auditions for principal actors and extras casting information is posted below.

See the post titled Headshot and Resume Information regarding how to submit for acting auditions.

Please submit photos and resumes for film auditions via mail only.
No phone calls or personal drop-offs.


Principal Actor Auditions Casting:

Tori Silvera-Bush
Bad Girl Casting
1161 N Las Palmas Ave
Hollywood CA 90038

Film Extras Casting:

Jeff Johnson
2150 South Main St
Suite 102
Salt lake City, UT 84115

Click Here to register with Utah Extras.


Production Companies:

Do NOT send photos and resumes to the production companies (they will most likely end up in the trash can), they do not cast the films. They hire casting directors who sort through the thousands of submissions and call talent in for the actors auditions.

Cloud Nine Films
39 Long Acre London,
WC2E 9LG
United Kingdom

FOX Searchlight
10201 W. Pico Blvd.
Building 38
Los Angeles, CA 90035

PATHÉ Pictures
Kent House
14-17 Market Place
London W1W 8AR UK

Director:

Danny Boyle

Producer:

Christian Colson

Starring:

James Franco - Aron Ralston
Amber Tamblyn - Aron Ralston's Girlfriend (in flashbacks)

Story:

It started out as a simple hike in the Utah canyonlands on a warm Saturday afternoon. For Aron Ralston, a twenty-seven-year-old mountaineer and outdoorsman, a walk into the remote Blue John Canyon was a chance to get a break from a winter of solo climbing Colorado's highest and toughest peaks. He'd earned this weekend vacation, and though he met two charming women along the way, by early afternoon he finally found himself in his element: alone, with just the beauty of the natural world all around him. It was 2:41 P.M. Eight miles from his truck, in a deep and narrow slot canyon, Aron was climbing down off a wedged boulder when the rock suddenly, and terrifyingly, came loose. Before he could get out of the way, the falling stone pinned his right hand and wrist against the canyon wall. And so began six days of hell for Aron Ralston. With scant water and little food, no jacket for the painfully cold nights, and the terrible knowledge that he'd told no one where he was headed, he found himself facing a lingering death - trapped by an 800-pound boulder 100 feet down in the bottom of a canyon. As he eliminated his escape options one by one through the days, Aron faced the full horror of his predicament: By the time any possible search and rescue effort would begin, he'd most probably have died of dehydration, if a flash flood didn't drown him before that.

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting is now open for submissions for the 2010 international competition. Entrants may submit their script online via digital upload only, Printed scripts are no longer accepted. Scripts submitted online must be uploaded no later than 11:59pm PT on May 1, 2010.

The Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting program is an international competition open to screenwriters who have not earned more than $5,000 writing for film or television. Entry scripts must be the original work of a sole author or of exactly two collaborative authors. Up to five $30,000 fellowships awarded each year

In recent years, the Nicholl Fellowships program has received between $150,000 and $190,000 in entry fees. In a typical fellowship year, it distributes $150,000 to the fellows. Considering administrative and other costs, it’s clear that the program is not remotely close to being a moneymaking operation.


Key Dates:

● The application is available through late April, 2010.

● All entries are due 11:59pm PT May 1, 2010.


Qualifications:

●Screenwriters who have not earned more than $5,000 writing fictional work for film or television.

● Entry scripts must be the original work of one writer, or the collaborative work of two writers, and must be written originally in English. Adaptations and translated scripts are not eligible.

● Each entrant is limited to three scripts in the current competition. Each entry requires a separate online application form and a separate entry fee. Under no circumstances may an entrant submit different versions or multiple copies of the same script. Doing so may result in all versions of the script being disqualified.


Prizes:

● Up to five $30,000 fellowships are awarded each year to promising new screenwriters. From the program’s inception in 1986 through 2009, over $2.8 million have been awarded to 121 writers.


Entry Requirements:

● Original feature film screenplay approximately 90 to 120 pages in length (there is no page limit) in PDF format only

● Fill out the online application form

● Early bird entry fee of US $30 (by 11:59pm Pacific Time April 1, 2010) or regular deadline entry fee of US $45 (by 11:59pm Pacific Time May 1, 2010)


Register and Apply:

Click Here to create an online account at any time. When the competition opens each year, you may use that account to apply online. Follow the links to the Log In page. The online system allows entrants to submit an application form electronically, pay the entry fee with a credit card and submit a PDF version of their script. It also allows entrants to confirm receipt of their entry and to update their contact information at any time during the competition.

PDF or Word versions of the application are no longer available as entrants may only enter via the online application.


Payment:

The US $30 entry fee must be paid online via credit card or debit card.


The Competition:

Since 1991, over 3,500 writers have entered the Nicholl Fellowships each year. A record 6,380 entries were received in 2009. All scripts are read at least once in the competition. About half are read a second time and about one-sixth are read a third time. About five percent of entries advance to the competition quarterfinals, about two percent advance to the semifinals and about 10 reach the finals.


Judging:

The first and quarterfinal rounds are judged by industry professionals who are not members of the Academy. The semifinal round is judged by Academy members drawn from across the spectrum of the motion picture industry. The finalist scripts are judged by the Nicholl Committee.


Announcements:

All entrants will receive notification of their status by e-mail sent no later than August 1, 2010. Quarterfinalist letters are e-mailed by August 1, 2010. Fellowship recipients are announced in October, 2010.

Writers may continue any and all modes of marketing their script without regard to their status in the competition.