The production team behind the upcoming television miniseries "The Long Road Home" conducted an open casting call for background extras at Killeen and Fort Hood last Sunday. They were hoping to get hundred people.
"The Long Road Home" is based on Martha Raddatz's best-selling novel of the same title. It tells the story of an eight-hour battle that took place on April 4, 2004, when a newly arrived platoon from the First Cavalry Division in Fort Hood, Texas, was ambushed in Sadr City in Baghdad. The event is known as the "Black Sunday," which marked a turning point in Iraq war.
The National Geographic Channel is producing the miniseries, which is also eight hours long to chronicle the battle. The filming is scheduled to begin by the middle of March and will last for 12 weeks until end of June, as reported by Kdhnews.com. Some battle scenes will be filmed at Fort Hood, which will serve as the Sadr City. Each extra will be paid $64 for eight hours of work, plus overtime if any.
Many people of different age and experience attended the casting call. They had their photos taken and they filled out application forms. In addition, about 150 submitted their applications online.
"We are working with masterful story crafters - Mike Medavoy, who has produced some of the most iconic military features ever made, Jason Clark, and Mikko Alanne - to tell a remarkable story about courage," said NatGeo's CEO Courteney Monroe when the project was announced in 2015, via Variety.
"It is a universal and timeless story about warriors and families, of brotherhood, hope, loyalty, and survival. It is rooted in authenticity that is core to National Geographic brand and we hope to tell a gripping, true story of survival."
The release date of "The Long Road Home" is yet to be officially announced.
