The Curse of Downer's Grove is based on the novel by Michael Hornburg.
AB Media Publishing, LLC
Note: The start date has been pushed to March, 2013.
Myriad Pictures in association with Bystander Films and Media Talent Group are set to begin production on the teen horror-thriller feature film "The Curse of Downer's Grove". The casting director is auditioning actors for various roles, including starring and supporting roles. There will be a large amount of extras hired throughout production, especially people who are over 18 who can play high school age. Principal photography begins on March, 2013 in the community of Visalia, CA located in the San Joaquin Valley. The film is based on the novel "Downers Grove" by Michael Hornburg.
"The Curse of Downer's Grove" centers on Chrissie Swanson, a high school senior with a scholarship to Northwestern who does not believe in the strange curse which claims the life of one student from her high school senior class every year. Defending herself in an attempted rape by a meth-crazed jock named Chuck, Chrissie inflicts injuries that end his hopes of a pro football career. She then becomes the target of Chuck and his crew of sadistic thugs. Chrissie fears she has been doomed by the Curse of Downer's Grove, a curse that claims the life of a high school senior every year. But whatever her fate, Chrissie isn't going down without a fight.
Starring in "The Curse of Downer's Grove" is the Hollywood Film Festival Spotlight Award winning Australian actress Bella Heathcote in the lead role of Chrissie Swanson. Heathcote was a recipient of the Heath Ledger Scholarship in 2010 and was subsequently cast in the Paramount feature film "Not Fade Away". Tim Burton cast Heathcote to portray Victoria Winters and Josette du Pres in his film adaptation of "Dark Shadows," which was released in 2012. Also starring in "Downer's Grove" is three-time Teen Choice Award nominee Lucas Till as Chrissie Swanson's brother Dave; three-time Screen Actors Guild Awards nominee Jill Hennessy as Chrissie's mother Dianne; and Young Artist Awards winner Kevin Zegers as Chuck. Zane Holtz has been cast in the role of the meth crazed Ezra, who is Chuck's sidekick.
Filmmaker Derick Martini will direct "The Curse of Downer's Grove" from an adapted screenplay written by himself and Bret Easton Ellis. Martini's directorial debut film "Lymelife" premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and won the International Federation of Film Critics Award for best film. He also wrote the screenplay for the film which starred Alec Baldwin, Emma Roberts, Rory Culkin, and Jill Hennessy. Martin Scorsese produced "Lymelife" and is a champion of Martini's work. Writer Bret Easton Ellis' credits include screenplays for "The Informers," "The Canyons," as well as the novels "American Psycho," "Less Than Zero," and "The Rules of Attraction".
"The Curse of Downer's Grove" is being independently produced by Chiara Trento, co-founder and executive producer of Bystander Films. Trento was previously employed by Miramax in New York, working across all foreign and independent film acquisitions, including Oscar-winning titles such as "Amelie" and "City of God". While at Miramax, Chiara worked directly with directors such as Fernando Meirelles, Martin Scorsese and the late Anthony Minghella. Also producing is Oren Segal of Media Talent Group, and Jason Dubin of Mangrove Media. Myriad Pictures is financing the project.
Minors and foreign talent must be legally eligible to work in the state of California and in the United States.
The 2013 Los Angeles Actors Resource Guide eBook comes with free quarterly updates and includes the following information and documents for adults, minors, and foreign talent who would like to work as an actor or extra on film and television productions in California and the United States:
• USA Child Actor Work Permit Requirements
• California Child Actor Permit Application
• California Minors Summary Chart
• Child Actor Coogan Trust Deposit Instructions
• California Division of Labor Standards Offices
• Immigration Work Permit Information
• Non-Immigrant Visa Application
In addition to the following Los Angeles Actors Resources:
• Audition Tips
• How To Make an Audition Video
• Los Angeles Casting Directors List
• Los Angeles Extras Casting Directors List
• Los Angeles Talent Agents List
• General Talent Agent Information
• Los Angeles Acting Classes List
• Acting Classes for Young Actors in Los Angeles
• Los Angeles Headshot Photographers List
• Sample Actors Resume
• Sample Beginning Actors Resume
• Sample Cover Letters
• Entertainment Industry Terminology
• Miscellaneous Los Angeles Resources
• Actors Unions
• PDF Users Guides
The 2013 Actors Resource Guide eBooks are available here.
Principal Actor Casting
See the post titled Headshot and Resume Information regarding how to submit for acting roles.
Submit photos and resumes by mail only.
No phone calls or personal drop-offs.
Los Angeles:
Eyde Belasco
3780 Wilshire Blvd.
7th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90010
Extras Casting
Visalia:
TBA
Production Companies:
Do NOT send photos and resumes to the production companies, as they will most likely end up being thrown away. They do not cast the films, rather they hire casting directors who sort through the thousands of submissions.
Myriad Pictures
3015 Main Street
Suite 400
Santa Monica, CA 90405
Media Talent Group
9200 W Sunset Boulevard
Suite 550
West Hollywood, CA 90069
Management Production Entertainment
9229 Sunset Blvd.
Suite 301
West Hollywood, CA. 90069
Bystander Films
Producers:
Oren Segal
Chiara Trento
Jason Dubin
Director:
Derick Martini
Starring:
Bella Heathcote - Chrissie Swanson
Lucas Till - Dave Swanson
Jill Hennessy - Dianne Swanson
Kevin Zegers - Chuck
Zane Holtz - Ezra
Story:
The haunting and tender story of Chrissie Swanson (Bella Heathcote), a paranoid high school senior for whom graduating has become a matter of life or death. She's an unusual girl in an ordinary town. Her mother Dianne's (Jill Hennessy) sex life is overshadowing her own; her brother Dave (Lucas Till) is aboard his own private Enterprise, slipping into one black hole after another; her best friend is hornier than a Prince song; leaving her eccentric grandmother as the only source of wisdom in a rapid downward spiral. As Chrissie tries to take control of the events that shape her life, she finds the events beginning to take control of her, until she is finally cornered by choices with everlasting consequences. Full of humor, wit, and the sacrilegious worldview of a savvy teenager, Downers Grove paints a searing portrait of the American dream in all its broken glory.
