Turtle Rock Productions, the company behind such Disney hit TV series as "Jonas" and "Zeke and Luther", is currently in pre-production on a new 1/2 hour single camera pilot comedy series for Disney XD. The show will be executive produced by and starring Napoleon Dynamite's Jon Heder. Casting for the series regulars is taking place, and shooting will begin in July, 2011.
The working title of this new series pilot is "Gulliver Quinn". A working title is the temporary name of a film or TV show used during its development. Working titles are used primarily for two reasons. The first being that an official title has not yet been decided upon and the working title is being used as a filler for naming purposes, which is likely the case with this project. The second being to intentionally disguise the production of a high profile film. In some cases a working title may ultimately be used as the official title.
Primetime Emmy Award winner Rob Scrab will direct the pilot episode of "Gulliver Quinn" from a script written by Dan Kopelman. Kopelman will also co-executive produce along with Heder and Electric Farm Entertainment's Stan Rogow. Disney executives have called Dan Kopelman's script "brilliant", and also said that "working with Jon Heder is an absolute coup for Disney XD".
The story tells of how Gulliver's parents move the 13 year old to a remote cave in India to help them study the Meghalayan Rock Tortoise. When they return 15 years later, Dad insists that Gulliver return to the 7th grade to finish his education.
The "Gulliver Quinn" casting director is auditioning actors for these series regulars:
• Female, 50-60. Caucasian. To play Gulliver's mother. She and Gulliver's father work as documentary filmmakers. She is outpouring of her emotions and very heartwarming. Is obsessed with all things tortoise and turtles such as jewelry, paintings, and trinkets.
• Father, 50-60. Caucasian. To play Gulliver's father. He is very enthusiastic, is devoted to being a god father to Gulliver, however his parenting techniques are a bit off the wall. He works with Gulliver's mom as a documentary filmmaker.
• Male, 12. Ethnicity unspecified. To play Harold, an intelligent, eccentric, 7th grader with superstitions. So smart, he was able to jump ahead a grade in school. He and his "circle of buddies" befriend their new classmate Gulliver.
• Male, 14. Ethnicity unspecified. To play Karl, Harold's handsome, but not-so-smart older sibling, who is also a 7th grader despite being a couple of years older than Harold.
• Female, 13. Ethnicity unspecified. To play Iris, a very outgoing, talkative, curious 7th grader who is a protective member of Harold's "circle of buddies".
• Male, 13. Ethnicity unspecified. To play Deke, Jr., the school Principal's son. Thinks he is better than everyone else, and can act out his jerkiness since daddy will go easy on him. Immediately loathes Gulliver and is resolute on making his life miserable.
• Male, 30-40. Ethnicity unspecified. To play the school Principal Deke Bainbridge. Just like his son Deke Jr., he is pompous and smug, although does have some appealing quality - he dates the school nurse (and Jill-of all trades) Charlotte. He is very approving of a grown man, Gulliver, being enrolled in 7th grade and let's him know this on a regular basis.
• Female, 25-30. Ethnicity unspecified. To play Charlotte, an unconventional, spirited, bright, pretty, and charming school employee with a fun sense of humor. Although she is indeed the school nurse, she also takes on the duties of groundskeeper, janitor, and history teacher. At first Gulliver had a crush on her, that is until he found out she is dating Principal Bainbridge.
• Male, 13. Caucasian. To play young Gulliver. Should look like Jon Heder at 13 years old. he is a very interested, impassioned boy. Will appear in flashback sequences.
"Gulliver Quinn" is tentatively scheduled for a 2012 launch on Disney XD.
Principal Actor Casting
See the post titled Headshot and Resume Information regarding how to submit for acting roles.
Please submit photos and resumes by mail only.
No phone calls or personal drop-offs.
Los Angeles:
Jill Anthony Thomas
1201 W. 5th Street
Maryland Bldg.
Ste M-320
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Extras Casting
Los Angeles:
TBA
Production Companies:
Do NOT send photos and resumes to the production companies, as they will most likely end up being thrown away. They do not cast the films, rather they hire casting directors who sort through the thousands of submissions.
Electric Farm Entertainment
3000 Olympic Blvd.
Building 3
Suite 1366
Santa Monica, CA 90404
Greasy Entertainment
6345 Balboa Blvd.
Building 4
Suite 375
Encino, CA 91316
Turtle Rock Productions
5315 Torrance Blvd
Torrance, CA 90503
Disney XD
3800 W Alameda Ave
Burbank, CA 91505
Producers:
Stan Rogow
Jon Heder
Writer/Producer:
Dan Kopelman
Director:
Rob Schrab
Starring:
Jon Heder - Gulliver Quinn
Story:
The live-action comedy, centers on Gulliver Quinn (Jon Heder), a grown man enrolled in the seventh grade after his family returns from a 15 year research expedition. After living in a cave in remote northwest India where his mom and dad were making a documentary film on a rare tortoise, Gulliver grew up acquiring awesome skills such as lightning-quick reflexes and the ability to see in the dark. Now the family has come back to their suburban home, its 1996 décor, years of stacked up mail and a 28-year-old son who needs to finally graduate seventh grade. At school, he makes a few friends…and a few enemies and reunites with his childhood crush, now the school nurse.
