Cape Girardeau to host Hollywood casting call

The announcement of a Saturday casting call seeking background extras for 20th Century Fox's feature film, "Gone Girl," could be a strong signal that Cape Girardeau has been chosen as a filming location, or is squarely in the driver's seat.

"It's a good sign," said Chuck Martin, director of the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau. "I haven't received any official news on 'Gone Girl' filming, but we remain hopeful that Cape Girardeau will be chosen."

The news release of the casting call sent Wednesday bore the 20th Century Fox logo on its letterhead. The release said background extras were being sought "for the movie based off The New York Times best seller 'Gone Girl.'" The casting call is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at Rose Theatre on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University.

The casting call announcement was made by Dr. Jim Dufek, a professor in Southeast's Department of Mass Media.

"I expect quite a few people to show up because of the buzz the movie has created," Dufek said.

The Hamilton Casting Co. of New York City will conduct the casting call, Dufek said. All ages and ethnicities are being sought as extras, but minor children who attend the casting call must have a parent or guardian present.

Dufek said Hamilton Casting had contacted him in late July after getting his name from the Missouri Film Commission.

"I'm on the board of directors of Missouri Motion Media," he said. "I also helped coordinate background extras when 'Killshot' was filmed here in 2006. My name was given to the casting company so that they could go to someone directly without having to go through an intermediary."

Like Martin, Dufek said he is unaware of any announcement from 20th Century Fox or Hamilton Casting about whether Cape Girardeau will be a filming location for "Gone Girl." But if the city is chosen, he said he wants his students to have the opportunity to be involved with the production.

"We were able to have 27 students used as interns during the filming of 'Killshot,'" he said. "Hopefully, we'll have about the same number if 'Gone Girl' is filmed here."

Calls and emails to 20th Century Fox concerning "Gone Girl" in Cape Girardeau were not returned as of Wednesday afternoon.

20th Century Fox's production of the film originates from the best-selling novel "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn. Published in June 2012, the plot centers on the difficult marriage of writers Nick and Amy Dunne and whether Nick killed his wife on their five-year anniversary. The book, which topped The New York Times hardcover fiction best-seller list for eight weeks, is partly set in a Missouri town on the Mississippi River.

The film adaptation of "Gone Girl" reportedly will be directed by David Fincher, an Oscar-nominated director of films such as "Fight Club," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Social Network" and "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." According to imdb.com, Ben Affleck will play the role of Nick Dunne, with Rosamund Pike portraying Amy Dunne.

Location scouts looking for homes or businesses to be included in the possible filming of "Gone Girl" have been seen in Cape Girardeau in recent weeks. Sharon Miller said her two bedroom home at 331 Sheridan Drive had been visited by a location scout nearly a month ago.

"A man got out of his car and gave me his card," Miller said. "He said it was a house that they could maybe use for filming the movie."

Miller said the location scout took "a lot" of pictures inside and outside of her home.

"The man said that they probably wouldn't film inside the house," she said, "but he said he was taking pictures inside so that he could get a feel for it."

Miller said she asked the location scout why he had chosen her house as a possible site for filming.

"He said he liked it because it's an older, smaller house that has a storage area visible from the street," she said.

klewis@semissourian.com

388-3635

Pertinent address:

1 University Plaza, Cape Girardeau, MO