Sony Pictures' Face of the Fan® Begins Casting Call for Lead Role in Screen Gems' Mortal Instruments

CULVER CITY, Calif., Feb. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Think you've got what it takes to play the male lead in Screen Gems' film adaptation of Cassandra Clare's best-selling series, Mortal Instruments? If you can play age 18-25 and think you're right for Jace Wayland, you just might land the part through Sony Pictures Entertainment's Face of the Fan®, an initiative for finding new talent, which has launched a casting call for the film.

By visiting www.FaceOfTheFan.com, users nationwide can now participate in this casting call, which launched on Friday, January 28th.  The audition consists of the user's contact info, a headshot photo, and a video (two minutes or less) of the person auditioning in which he answers a question: "Why are you the right person to play Jace Wayland in the upcoming movie?"  The audition submission process will end on February 25th.

When asked to describe the Jace Wayland's character, the book's author, Cassandra Clare wrote: fighting, hunting, and killing demons are the things Jace is good at. Though the jagged scars and black runic marks on his body are a badge of honor as far as he's concerned, he keeps a lot to himself – like the fact that his parents were murdered by Valentine's servants in front of him when he was ten years old. There are a lot of things Jace doesn't talk about — until he meets Clary, a mundane girl who might see him better than he can see himself. The connection that binds them will force Jace to confront the black secrets of a past he never wanted to remember.  The film version of Cassandra Clare's popular book series is currently in active development with Screen Gems and the theatrical release is anticipated in the coming year.

Face of the Fan® launched in November 2010 with a casting call for Screen Gems' and Lakeshore Entertainment's successful action franchise Underworld.  Users from across the country logged onto the website, downloaded select pages from a script to rehearse, and then uploaded their audition video and other credentials for submission.  The submitted videos were then reviewed by a panel of studio and production executives and selected participants were considered by casting agents for future roles.  The site also helped users spread the word and expand the conversation by providing them with the tools to share the programs with their family and friends through social networking.

The concept for Face of the Fan® builds on several past initiatives from Sony Pictures, in which uber-fans were chosen to participate in various marketing-related activities. Whether meeting talent on the red carpet, interviewing them at Comic-Con, or becoming guest correspondents covering the movies, these contests allowed the winning fans to get close to actors and filmmakers like never before and share their experiences online with their friends, family, and other fans.

About Sony Pictures Entertainment

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation.  SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; a global channel network; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of entertainment in more than 140 countries.  Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.sonypictures.com.

SOURCE Sony Pictures Entertainment