Sopranos and soap opera stars join Marianna movie cast

Actors from the popular television shows The Sopranos, All My Children and Desperate Housewives have been named to appear in the new Marianna-made horror/action film, Sharkansas.

Serafin Falcon, who played Estaban in the popular tv series The Sopranos, will portray Mike in the new movie, which continues filming this week in and around Marianna.  He also has appeared as a sniper in the blockbuster movie Transporter 2, as a hitman in the tv series Graceland and in the TV series Burn Notice.

John Callahan, whose face is well-known to soap opera fans, will play Carl in the new movie. He played Dr. Baker in Days of Our Lives, and Edmund Grey in All My Children. He also has appeared as Edmund in Spin City, Stan in Desperate Housewives, Richard Porter in Watch Over Me, Bruce Donnelly in Cold Case, Eric Stavros in Falcon Crest, Craig Hunt in Santa Barbara, Leo Russell in General Hospital, a reporter in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Pete in Fantasy Island, Preston Howard and Garrett Harper in Fantasy Island and Detective Mackenzie Johnson in The Bay.

The third new name that surfaced over the weekend as a participant in the movie is Amy Rasimas Holt, who has appeared in The Unit, NCIS: Los Angeles and Dynocroc vs. Supergator. She will appear as Norma in the upcoming TV series Break a Hip.

 The three join Traci Lords, Dominique Swain and Christine Nguyen in Sharkansas, which tells the story of how a "fracking" accident causes the earth to crack and unleashes a swarm of prehistoric sharks into the area around a prison for women in Arkansas. The movie is expected to receive a PG or PG-13 rating.

Although the movie is set in Arkansas, all filming is taking place in and around Marianna due to the availability of caves, crystal clear spring waters and unique wooded and rocky terrain.

The total budget for the project is around $600,000 and the impact on the local economy over a three-week period is expected to approach or surpass $1,000,000.  While no extras are currently needed for the film, the movie company is contracting with numerous local businesses including restaurants, hotels, suppliers and for boats and other assistance from Cave Adventurers on Merritt's Mill Pond.

To read other updates on the film, please visit http://twoegg.blogspot.com and scroll down the page.

Stars and Caves appear in Sharkansas, horror movie filming in Marianna, FL

Florida Caverns State Park
Marianna, Florida

UPDATED: 3:30 p.m.  Traci Lords to star in Sharkansas!

Filming of the horror movie Sharkansas Womens Prison Massacre moved into its second day with some of the lead actors and actresses now on set.

Sources close to the production confirmed this afternoon that actress Traci Lords will play a role in the film. Drawn into adult films by her mother's boyfriend when she was underage, Lords has spoken publicly about the exploitative nature of the porn industry. Since those days she has gone to acting school and proved herself to be an accomplished actress. She played opposite Johnny Depp in Cry-Baby, as Racquel in Blade and as "Bubbles" in the 2008 comedy Zac and Miri make a Porno. She also has appeared in a wide variety of TV shows, including MacGyver, Married with Children, The Tommyknockers, Highlander, Tales from the Crypt, Melrose Place, Roseanne, Nash Bridges, Profiler, Will & Grace and Gilmore Girls.

Other announced celebrities taking part in the production include Dominique Swain in the role of "Honey" and Christine Nguyen as "Michelle Alika."

Best known for her performances in the the 1997 John Travolta/Nicolas cage film Face/Off and in the title role in the 1997 Jeremy Irons/Melanie Griffith film Lolita, Swain has appeared in dozens of movies and television shows. Her TV credits include Ghost Whisperer and JAG.

Blue Springs Recreational Area
Jackson County, Florida

Nguyen has appeared in the 2010 Jonah Hill/Russell Brand move Get Him to the Greek and the 2006 Comedy/Musical Ghost in a Teeny Bikini (note for its tagline, "If the Graveyard's rockin', don't bother knockin'!).

Merritt's Mill Pond
Marianna, Florida

Also starring in the film will be Jackson County's most famous landmark, Florida Caverns State Park.

A beautiful myriad of caverns that constitute Florida's only public tour cave, the cavers draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to Marianna and Jackson County each year.  Filming is now in its second day at the park, but is being scheduled around public activities so that no tours or other points of interest in the park are closed due to the film work.

Other locations to be used in the movie, which tells the story of a "fracking" accident that creates a crack in the earth and unleashes a swarm of prehistoric sharks into the vicinity of a prison for women in Arkansas, include Blue Springs Recreational Area, Merritt's Mill Pond and possibly the historic and haunted Russ House in Marianna.

To learn more about the movie, be sure to read yesterday's post: Hollywood comes to Marianna!