Danny Boyle film puts out 'urgent' casting call for 'serious cyclists' and runners

Fancy making it onto the silver screen? Oscar-winning British director Danny Boyle has put out a casting call for cyclists, runners and triathletes to star as extras in a film that many believe will be the sequel to 28 Days Later, the 2002 post-apocalyptic horror film.

The casting call asks for, "ultra marathon runners/serious cyclists/triathletes/fit people with lean strong physiques."

The production team remain tight-lipped about the project's name, specifying only that they need extras for a "major feature film".

Even so, local news outlet ChronicleLive has linked the casting call to Boyle having spoken to Candy Marlowe, the film team's second assistant director in charge of crowd scenes. They understand that the project will be a sequel to Boyle's 2002 film 28 Days Later.

The filming will take place in North East England in the rugged Northumberland countryside beyond Newcastle. Filming is expected to begin in May and continue into the summer.

Exactly why the producers need cyclists is unclear — perhaps us gangly cyclists already have that 'emaciated post-apocalyptic survivors' look about us.

Read more: Is a cycling body a healthy body? - The GCN Show

The original 2002 film was about a bike messenger, played by Cillian Murphy, who woke up from a coma to find society had broken down following the release of a deadly virus.

Murphy returns as the executive producer for the sequel, which will star Jody Komer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes.

As for the extras, there is no need for acting experience — Marlowe tells ChronicleLive that extras with the right body type will be given all the preparation they need during filming. Extras can expect to earn around £120 a day.

The casting call has been marked 'urgent', so if you are a cyclist in the north of England with a clear calendar, why not sign up?

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