Gearing Up for the Further Adventures of Bonnie and Clyde

More than two years after it was first announced, the indie drama The Story of Bonnie and Clyde is in the final stages of pre-production, with shooting penciled in for later this year in Missouri, Alabama and Louisiana. As part of the lead-up, an open extras casting call is being held this Saturday March 5th in Joplin, MO.

Cast as Bonnie and Clyde four and a half decades after Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty seared the gangster couple into the public consciousness are Hilary Duff and Canadian born Kevin Zegers (Gossip Girl).* The film was written and is being directed and produced by Tonya S. Holly, who previously made another period drama, When I Find the Ocean, starring Lee Majors and Diane Lane. Her many other credits range from the Lou Gossett Jr. drama Toy Soldiers to casting for the Jessica Lange-Tommy Lee Jones offering Blue Sky.

Treading on hallowed cinematic ground

The locale of Joplin holds special significance for the filmmaker. Per this weekend's casting call notes:

Holly selected Joplin after scouting the apartment that Bonnie and Clyde used as a hideout, where two officers were killed in 1933. Also, after her visit to the Joplin area, Holly discovered several sites that would possibly work for one of her upcoming films, The Chocolate Is Under The Bed.

The Story of Bonnie and Clyde is a new adaptation of the classic love story which tells the thrilling story of the notorious fugitives. Taking place during the 1930’s Depression, the film uncovers many times in the gangster couple's lives that have never before been seen on the big screen.

Another interesting piece of history figures into Holly's production company, Cypress Moon. The company's headquarters in Sheffield, AL was once the home of Muscle Shoals Studio, a legendary recording site used by Bob Dylan, Lynyrd Skynyrd and others. Holly also founded the Alabama Filmmakers Association in 1991.

[Cypress Moon Production]

*Update - 08/22/11: Due to scheduling conflicts, both Duff and Zegers are in the process of being replaced.