Two South Shore towns will stand in for Nantucket, Massachusetts, later this month when cameras begin rolling on "Moby Dick," a made-for-television mini-series.

 The famous man-versus-whale story of Captain Ahab and his hunt for "the" whale was first told in the classic 1851 novel by Herman Melville.

 News of the upcoming production became public in late August when a call was made for background actors of all ages for the film, directed by Mike Barker, whose most recent work includes another Nova Scotia-filmed mini-series, "Sea Wolf."

 David MacLeod, one of the producers, confirmed that Chester-based Big Motion Pictures is connected to the Canadian elements of "Moby Dick" and they will only be shooting the Nantucket exteriors in Lunenberg and Shelburne. The below- deck interiors will be filmed at Seacoast Studios in Shelburne.

  This is the only filming that will be done in Canada, he said.

 "The tall ship playing the [whaleship] Pequod is European and didn't want to cross the Atlantic for the ocean sequences," he explained. "They also needed the Malta film tank for water/whaleboat sequences. As a result, all the rest of the film is anticipated to be shot in and around Malta."

 Although very little is being released at this time about the project, it has been confirmed that it is a period film set in the 1850s.

 Filming in Lunenburg is set to begin on September 22 for one week before moving to Shelburne to continue filming September 28. Several hundred men and women and a few children are needed to be background performers in the film.

 Women with long, naturally coloured hair and no larger than a women's dress size six and men no larger than a chest size 44 and whose hair is not too modern are needed. Men with and without beards are required.

 Anyone interested in performing should go to the St. John's Anglican Church hall, 64 Townsend Street in Lunenburg, on September 1 between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. to be photographed and have their wardrobe measurements taken.

 In Shelburne, casting representatives will be at Seacoast Studios, 2882 Sandy Point Road, on September 2 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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 Anyone interested in participating in this project and who cannot attend the open casting call should e-mail recent pictures with their contact information and measurements to castingmovieextra@gmail.com.

 Other details about the project, such as cast and when it will be aired, will be released at a later date.

posted on 09/01/09