Could a new casting call issued by major local casting agency Miranda Davidson Studios be connected to the expected, November, Abu Dhabi shoot of the Michael Bay-directed, Ryan Reynolds-starring, $125m budgeted, Netflix blockbuster - the streaming giant's biggest-budget movie to date?
The call, which is seeking a multicultural mix of actors including a blonde British female, young East Indian of unspecified gender, British male, Western European "model," and numerous Nigerian females and Central Asian looking men, mostly between the ages of 18-45, has been sent out to actors and extras on the studio's books, although it does not specify what production the casting call is for, other than that it's a "feature film"
The high presence of British and European cast required, as well as a previous call for an American male aged 35-45, would seem to hint at a Western production, rather than the many Bollywood and South Indian productions that are currently passing through, or shortly to pass through, the UAE, or indeed a film in the Arabic language.
In fact, although the plot details of 6 Underground remain tightly under wraps currently, the lack of requirement for any Arab cast so far could be a promising sign that this could be one Hollywood film that won't be using the desert as shorthand for "Arab terrorists," though there's still plenty of time.
The numbers don’t appear huge, so far, though exactly how many “Nigerian females” and “Central Asian looking men” are needed is unclear, and even the relatively small number of roles advertised so far would seem to put the film beyond the level of a typical low-budget, local production, and the timing is certainly convenient if our own information on the shoot’s likely start is correct.
No one from Miranda Davidson Studios was available for comment, but having previously cast extensively for big-budget Hollywood shoots in the UAE including FF7, Star Trek Beyond and Netflix's very own War Machine, the agency certainly has the experience, and successful track record, to be taking on a mega-budget Michael Bayfest.
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Read more:
Six Underground starring Ryan Reynolds to be shot in Abu Dhabi
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