21 Laps Entertainment and The Jim Henson Company are now in the pre-production stage on the upcoming live-action Disney feature film “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” which is based on the children’s book by Judith Viorst. Disney casting executives are conducting a widespread talent search for a boy age 10-12 to play the lead role of Alexander Conners. Both SAG-AFTRA talent and non-union talent can submit via uploading an audition video to the official Disney casting authorized website for this film. Shooting will take place from August through October, 2013 in Los Angeles.
“Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” tells the story of young Alexander Conners, a nice boy who simply ends up having a sequence of terrible, horrible, no good, very bad disasters in a single days time. From the moment he wakes up until night time, he experiences a string of humiliating and embarrassing moments, both at home and at school. Feeling defeated and neglected, he also does not get any support from his parents Ben and Courtney Conners. Alexander impetuously makes a wish that his Parents, brother Anthony, sister Emily, and baby brother Trevor, could understand what it’s like to suffer through a truly horrendous day. When Alexander wakes up the next day he thinks that he’s cursed his whole family, after everything begins going wrong for each one of them. In the process of helping his family push through their own individual horrible days, he comes to see how much they really do care about him.
Starring in “Alexander” is Golden Globe Award winner Steve Carell playing the role of Alexander’s father Ben Conners. Playing his mother is another very talented Golden Globe Award winner, Jennifer Garner. Carrell is an Acton, MA native who came into prominence in 2005 when he starred in the feature film “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” and also signed a contract to star in the hit NBC series “The Office” that same year. He is currently filming “Anchorman: The Legend Continues” in San Diego. Jennifer Garner is a Houston, TX native who graduated from the highly esteemed Denison University in Granville, OH. She is a trained Shakespearean actor, and performed with the Georgia Shakespeare Company. Garner has starred in such feature films as “13 Going on 30,” “The Odd Life of Timothy Green,” “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past,” “Valentine’s Day,” and the sleeper blockbuster hit “Juno” which had a budget of $7.5 million and has raked in over $230 million from the box office worldwide.
Independent Spirit Awards winner Miguel Arteta is directing from an adapted screenplay written by Academy Award nominee Lisa Cholodenko and Rob Lieber. Arteta’s first film, “Star Maps” was nominated for five Independent Spirit Awards. His next full-length film “Chuck & Buck,” won that award in the category of Best Feature – Under $500,000. He has gone on to direct “The Good Girl” starring Jennifer Aniston and Jake Gyllenhaal, “Youth in Revolt” starring Michael Cera and Zach Galifianakis, and “Cedar Rapids” starring Ed Helms and John C. Reilly. Arteta is also an accomplished television series director, helming episodes of such hit shows as “Six Feet Under,” “The Office,” “American Horror Story,” and HBO’s “Enlightened” for which he is also Co-executive Producer. Writer Lisa Cholodenko’s highly acclaimed comedy-drama “The Kids Are All Right,” which she also directed, was nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Picture.
Producing “Alexander” is 21 Laps Entertainment’s Shawn Levy, who was nominated for a Directors Guild of America DGA Award in 1998 for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children’s Programs for “The Secret World of Alex Mack”. Levy recently directed and produced the feature film “The Internship” starring Vince Vaughn and Owen Wildson. 21 Laps’ Dan Levine is also producing along with The Henson Company CEO Lisa Henson and Jason Lust.
Disney Talent Search Details
Disney Casting Executives Randi Hiller and Tamara-Lee Notcutt are conducting an international talent search for a boy to play the lead role in the family feature film “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day”. They are seeking someone to play the following:
[ALEXANDER CONNERS] Male 10 to 12 yrs of age. A good kid, but after a series of terrible, horrible, no good, very bad disasters in one day, that may not be so apparent. From morning to night, both at home and at school, Alexander collides with a series of humiliating and embarrassing moments. Feeling defeated and neglected, and receiving no understanding from his family, Alexander makes a wish that his family could understand what it’s like to suffer through a truly horrendous day. When Alexander awakes the next day he believes that he’s cursed his entire family, after everything starts going wrong for each one of them. In the process of helping his family push through their own individual horrible days, he comes to see how much they really do care about him. LEADING ROLE
To be considered, parents can upload a homemade audition video using provided sides (audition script pages). The following is the only official website authorized by Disney for talent to upload audition videos:
This talent search is being hosted by Cast It Talent, which is a subsidiary of Cast It Systems. You can read about Cast It in the following New York Times Article:
Digital Casting, Poised for a Role Beyond Hollywood
Additional Disney casting details for the roles of Alexander’s older brother, older sister, and baby brother will be posted here when and if it becomes available.
Minors and foreign talent must be legally eligible to work in the state of California and in the United States.
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.
Randi Hiller
Tamara-Lee Notcutt
c/o Walt Disney Studios
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank CA 91502
Note: ONLY submit through the official talent search link provided above. This address is for reference only, as they are not accepting mailed-in submissions at this time.
Extras Casting
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.
The Walt Disney Company
500 S. Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521
21 Laps Entertainment
10201 W. Pico Blvd.
Building 41
Suite 400
Los Angeles, CA 90064
The Jim Henson Company
1416 N. La Brea Avenue
Hollywood, CA 90028
Producers:
Shawn Levy
Lisa Henson
Jason Lust
Dan Levine
Director:
Miguel Arteta
Starring:
Steve Carell – Ben
Jennifer Garner – Courtney
Story:
When 11-year-old Alexander receives no sympathy from his family after suffering through a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, he makes a wish that dooms his mother Courtney, his father Ben (Steve Carell), his brother Anthony, and his sister Emily to the same fate, and then he must scramble to help them set things right.
