Traffic was heavy on upper Main Street Sunday as residents sought a role in the upcoming “Daddy’s Home 2” movie. (Frank Komola photograph for WHAV News.)
More than 2,000 people from around the Merrimack Valley and Southern New Hampshire braved single digit temperatures and 20 mile-per-hour wind gusts for a shot at appearing as extras in an upcoming movie.
Julie Arvedon Knowlton, casting director for Slate Casting of Boston, estimated that by the 3 in the afternoon about 2,500 people showed up at American Legion Post 4, 1314 Main St.
Originally planned to start at 10 a.m., the casting company swung open the door to the function room ahead of time to accommodate early arrivals waiting in their cars or huddled around the parking lot in subfreezing temperatures. People continued to arrive throughout the day in groups of from 10 to 20 at a time. Once the doors opened, everyone was able to get in out of the elements as they waited turns to sign up.
Extras chosen from the casting call will be used in, “Daddy’s Home 2,” a movie sequel to a comedy starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg that was released in 2015. Both actors will be back in the sequel. John Lithgow and Mel Gibson also appear in the movie and the Hollywood Reporter announced Friday WWE wrestling star John Cena had been added to the cast as well. He also appeared in the original.
Production of the film is expected to begin later this spring.
Here in Haverhill we have a casting call for the comedy at city hall, but we call it an election.