Movie Adaptation of Latest Nicholas Sparks Book Will Be Shot in Winston-Salem: Extras Needed

Winston-Salem will once again be the backdrop for a major motion picture. Filming for the movie adaptation of the latest Nicholas Sparks book, The Longest Ride will take place in the city later this summer and producers are looking for local talent.

Nicholas Sparks is best known for writing romance novels set in various towns across North Carolina, and this time it's Winston-Salem's turn for the spotlight.  One of the main characters in The Longest Ride attends Wake Forest University and soon falls for a local bull rider from King, North Carolina. 

The book-turned movie will be filmed in both Wilmington and Winton-Salem. Rebecca Clark, Executive Director of the Piedmont Triad Film Commission says it's a big opportunity to showcase the region. “One of the great things about Nicholas Sparks movies, is that it helps build tourism in an area.”

The Longest Ride is the ninth book by Sparks to be adapted for the big screen. Clark says she expects visitors to flock to Winston-Salem to see where it was filmed, just as they did to South Port, NC, after Safe Haven was released in 2013.

Currently, film makers are looking for extras in The Longest Ride, and anyone in the Triad area is encouraged to apply. Clark says it's a great opportunity.  “It's really interesting. It's fun for people who have no idea about the film industry who are curious. It's a great way to learn about exactly what goes on behind the scenes,” says Clark.

Meanwhile, Clark says she's worried about future movie productions in the state. Last week, the Senate approved a new film incentives bill that would raise the spending threshold from its current minimum of $250,000 to $10 million. She says although the change could attract films with larger spending budgets, it could also create a disadvantage for smaller productions. “Out of the movies that have been shot in the Piedmont Triad over the last 20 years, only one would have qualified for the film incentive. That's going to put a huge dent in production in the Piedmont Triad.”  

The House is expected to vote on the film incentives bill next week. Those who are interested in the casting call for The Longest Ride can apply online at www.makescenes.com.