A baseball-themed movie starring Clint Eastwood is expected to film scenes in Macon next month.
Though officials with the movie’s production offices in Atlanta and Los Angeles declined comment on whether the movie “Trouble with the Curve” would shoot scenes in Macon, city officials confirmed that Eastwood’s production company is in the process of finalizing a deal to shoot at historic Luther Williams Field.
According to the Internet Movie Database website, “Trouble with the Curve” will feature Eastwood as an ailing baseball scout who goes on one last road trip with his daughter to check on a top prospect. Other actors who have roles in the movie include Justin Timberlake, Amy Adams and John Goodman. The movie is scheduled for a September release, according to the website.
Robert Lorenz, Eastwood’s partner with his company, Malpasow Productions, is slated to make his directorial debut with the movie.
While production officials were mum Wednesday, city Parks and Recreation Director Dale “Doc” Dougherty confirmed that a contract to rent Luther Williams is being finalized at the city attorney’s office. Dougherty said Wednesday he isn’t sure if it is the final contract or how much the production team will be paying to lease the field.
“They’re going to be here for several days, as far as we know,” Dougherty said. “There’s going to be several days of setting it up, a day of shooting, and then a day of taking everything down. ... Frankly, I’m more interested in the economic development aspect (for Macon) than the payday.”
Chris Dunn, president of the Middle Georgia Baseball league, said he was contacted by a casting director who is looking for extras in one of the movie’s baseball scenes. Dunn said the production is looking for 20 players ages 18 to 30, as well as extras to play coaches and umpires. Those who show up to be a coach or an umpire will have a head shot taken, Dunn said, while players will go through various hitting, fielding and pitching drills in order to be selected.
Tryouts will take place at 9 a.m. Saturday at Luther Williams Field.
“We’ve gotten a whole lot of responses already,” Dunn said. “I’ve got a whole stack of papers right here.”
Dunn said the production has had tryouts in other parts of Georgia, including Cobb County.
Stephanie Paupeck, spokeswoman for the Georgia Film Office, said she’s unaware if the production has finalized the details about shooting in Macon.
The production has scouted locations in Macon, Atlanta and Hiawassee, and a production office has been set up in Atlanta.
According to a story in The Gainesville Times, shooting also will take place in Dawsonville and Athens.
Luther Williams Field may not be the only Macon locale to be shot in the movie. Chad Evans, co-owner of The Rookery on Cherry Street, said location scouts also took a look at the restaurant earlier this week as a possibility for another scene in the movie.
Evans said the scouts told him they liked the wood-paneling look of the pub as well as its history.
“I’d like to say we’re optimistic, but we’re just not sure,” Evans said. “We haven’t told anyone about it, really. They said they’d let us know in a few days, because the film starts in a few weeks. ... Tell Macon to keep its fingers crossed for us.”
