Town of Fort Macleod holds casting call for Hollywood film

Academy Award-winning actor Kevin Costner and actress Diane Lane will be paying southern Alberta a visit as the pair get to work on an upcoming 1960s drama called Let Him Go.

For a shot at being cast in the Hollywood production, hundreds of extras lined up outside the community hall in Fort Macleod.

“We were expecting maybe about 200 or 300 people throughout the day; I think we surpassed that already,” said Randy Hutchings, extras casting director.

“It’s a little overwhelming how many people showed up, but it just goes to show how committed we are in our area to filming, and we want to showcase (that) we got — as you can see, there are lots of choices,” said Kristi Edwards, deputy mayor of Fort Macleod.

The small town of Fort Macleod is no stranger to big productions.

“This is not the first time we’ve had a Hollywood movie. We’ve actually had quite a few: Interstellar, Passchendaele — there’s been quite a few films that have come. Brokeback Mountain was filmed here as well so it’s not new for Fort Macleod but it’s one of those things we take pride in,” added Edwards.

Aside from welcoming big names on the silver screen, the town is also grateful for the economic benefits such productions bring.

“It’s great because it gets new people into our community, as well as the filming industry gets a chance to see what we have to offer. It allows for future engagements as filming locations, as well as all of the film crew: mostly, they patronize our businesses as well so we get some additional business that way,” said Edwards.

The movie Let Him Go will be filmed in southern Alberta from April 5 to May 17. The extras selected at this particular casting call will only take part in a three-day shoot in Fort Macleod, which will be held from April 10 to 12.