Thousands of people queued this Monday in La Devesa de Girona to participate in the mass casting for the new live-action adaptation of Tangled, the Disney film inspired by the tale of Rapunzel. The official call started at 10:00 AM at the Palau de Fires, although the first aspirants had arrived at the Fira de Girona gate on Sunday at 11:00 AM and spent the night outdoors to secure a spot.
The influx exceeded predictions from early on. At 8:00, when there were still two hours left until the start of the selection, the queue already occupied the entire promenade of La Devesa up to the clock and extended in the direction of the pont de la Barca. The production is looking for between 1,500 and 2,000 extras to set scenes that will be filmed in Girona, where the Barri Vell will be transformed into one of the spaces of the fictional kingdom of the story.
A wait of hours with candidates from inside and outside of Catalunya
During the early morning, people arriving from different parts of Catalunya and also from Madrid, Teruel and València kept joining. Among the attendees there were aspirants displaced from Norway, Italy and the Netherlands. Some chained flights, trains and hours of waiting to be able to access the venue.
"I have spent the night at Barcelona airport and arrived in Girona with the first train" - Marea Mammano, singer resident in Tenerife
Marea Mammano, one of the aspirants, also explained the personal link that led her to Girona to present herself for the test.
"Rapunzel has accompanied me forever, I wanted to continue being part of this magic" - Marea Mammano, singer resident in Tenerife
Laura Terrón also attended, arrived from Madrid, who wanted to try her luck due to her fondness for the film released in the State in 2010 with the title of Enredados.
"I am a superfan of the movie since I was little, I couldn't not try it" - Laura Terrón, aspiring extra
Her mother, María Lourdes Marinas, explained that the trip had been short, although with the intention of returning.
"We only stayed one day, but we will surely return, because we loved the city and we also want to visit the coast" - María Lourdes Marinas, mother of Laura Terrón
The selection closed earlier than expected
The plan was to extend the process until 20:00, but before 16:00 access was cut off to take the test in person. Those who were left out were invited to register virtually via a QR code.
The call was aimed at men, women and infants aged 4 to 80, as well as professional and amateur dancers up to 70 years old. There were no restrictions on origin or appearance and people from Girona were prioritized.
Those who managed to enter the casting went through a photo shoot and filled out a form. Among other aspects, they were asked about their experience with dance and about jobs like carrying trays, in addition to knowledge or connection with the world of castellers and correfocs.
Expectation in Girona for a filming scheduled for July
Among the people who queued was Elisa Enrech, a theater student from Tarragona and resident in Girona, who arrived at dawn and already found dozens of people ahead.
"I got up at five in the morning and when I arrived there were already about eighty people in front and now I don't even know if we will get in" - Elisa Enrech, theater student
The young woman assumed the dimension of an unusual call in the city and valued the experience beyond the final result.
"I have done things, but never such a big casting. Just seeing how it works is already good, and if I could be on set even more" - Elisa Enrech, theater student
Also presented was a family linked to the entertainment sector, formed by María Rosa Roig, Alexis Barberà and their children Arturo and Aurora.
"All of us have been dedicated to the entertainment world for years, including the little ones, and we would be very excited to participate in such a big shoot as this one" - María Rosa Roig and Alexis Barberà, aspiring family
"We have traveled many hours and we have gotten up very early, but we are very excited, because we have been able to enter and that is already important" - María Rosa Roig y Alexis Barberà, aspiring family
The production plans to shoot during the entire second half of July and will carry out costume fittings in June. The strong response registered in La Devesa anticipates the expectation that a filming, which will take the Barri Vell to the visual universe of Rapunzel, has aroused in Girona.