Several weeks ago, a casting call emerged for football players to serve as extras in the new Batman movie, which is being filmed in Pittsburgh.
For 13 of the actors, their range won’t be tested very much.
Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and approximately 12 other Steelers will head from Latrobe to Heinz Field on Saturday morning for filming. They’ll then return to St. Vincent College for a real practice.
Thomas Tull, a Steelers minority owner, serves as executive producer for The Dark Knight Rises. Tull and Roethlisberger reportedly have become friends.
“I’m kind of getting everybody together,” Roethlisberger told Bouchette. “I heard it’s going to be a neat thing at the stadium. I don’t think it will be a big part, it’s not like we’re chasing Batman down or anything. It’s something neat that in 10 years or 20 years we can tell our kids we were in a movie. Thomas does movies big and I’m sure it will be a big-time movie and something fun to be part of.”
Other Steelers players who’ll participate include Hines Ward, Willie Colon, Maurkice Pouncey, Mike Wallace, Heath Miller, Aaron Smith, Ryan Clark, Troy Polamalu, James Farrior, and Casey Hampton. They’ll be wearing the uniform of the Gotham football team.
It would be fitting if a few of them end up being fined by Commissioner Gordon.
UPDATE: WPXI has posted overhead footage of Heinz Field, where the playing surface reveals the name and logo of the “Gotham Rogues.” (Webster defines “rogue” as a “dishonest or worthless person.” Ravens fans, have at it.) At one end of the field, a large area of the turf appears to be torn up, an illusion that looks to have been created by the placement of a second layer above the main field. Maybe the scenes shot there will include a reenactment of the incredible non-bouncing ball.