Copyright The Philadelphia Inquirer
Philly can’t seem to stay off the screen lately — and now, Apple Studios is getting in on the action. Following recent buzz from Task, Abbott Elementary, and the ever-enduring It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, a new movie production titled Cheesesteak is setting up shop in the city that invented the sandwich. According to the casting site Backstage, Apple is holding open calls for Cheesesteak, a film starring Mark Wahlberg and directed by Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Dear Evan Hansen). Boston Casting Inc. is seeking extras ages 18 and older to play basketball fans for a scene filming in Philadelphia on Nov. 9. The project — which has also gone by the working title Weekend Warriors — is based on the 2023 German sports comedy-drama Weekend Rebels. Inspired by the true story of Mirco and Jason von Juterzcenka, the original film follows a father and his autistic son as they travel across Europe to visit every Premier League soccer club so Jason can decide which team to root for. In the American remake, soccer becomes basketball and Europe becomes the United States. According to CBS News, Wahlberg plays a long-haul truck driver who takes his son on a cross-country journey to visit NBA arenas — a story that blends sports fandom, family tension, and plenty of heart. The Philly filming location has yet to be revealed. Filming has already taken place in Worcester County, Mass., and other parts of New England, with Wahlberg spotted shooting scenes at a basketball court in Lynn, Mass., last month. The Philadelphia shoot marks the latest stop, and a fitting one for a movie named after the city’s most iconic sandwich. The film is produced by Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner for Plan B, alongside LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s SpringHill Company, according to Deadline. A separate casting notice describes Cheesesteak as the story of “a self-made restaurateur fighting to keep his family business alive amid fame, rivalry, and secrets that could change everything” — a premise that feels right at home in Philly. 🎬 How to apply Boston Casting Inc. is seeking local talent ages 18 and older to appear as basketball fans in a crowd scene filming Nov. 9 in Philadelphia.
