Yesterday Paramount sent out a casting notice to a handful of film sites, including Slashfilm, looking for boys and girls around 13 or 14 years old to cast for lead roles in an untitled upcoming project. Given that the kids are described as having a "Midwestern feel" and the producers want them to be natural above all, there's plenty of reason to speculate that this is casting for Super 8, the upcoming J.J. Abrams project that's rumored to take place in a town in Ohio after a train carrying extraterrestrial material crashes there. If you somehow haven't seen the teaser trailer yet, you can watch it here.

Though casting sides were included in the call, they don't necessarily represent an actual script-- one scene, in which a parent lets a kid know about their divorce, is rewritten for both Josh and Natalie to read. Another is taken from an episode of Freaks and Geeks. It's unclear if the divorce scene means that the lead character in the film might be male or female, or even if it's been written for the film-- Super 8 is intended as a tribute to the early Spielberg films, and we all remember what a role divorce played in E.T., so it seems entirely likely one of the kids will be the child of divorced parents.

Check out the casting notice below, and head to Slashfilm for links to the individual script sides. It's hard to know what we can read into Super 8 from this-- and we really don't even know if this is casting for Super 8 at all-- but if you're 13 or 14 years old and have big acting dreams, this might be your shot to work with Spielberg.

Seeking 13-14 year old Boys & Girls for the lead roles in a new Paramount feature film. No previous acting experience is necessary, but must have great energy and a wonderful sense of humor and thoughtfulness.

JOSH: Male 13-14.  Josh is cute, but could be on the scrawny side – definitely not the school jock.  Loveable, empathetic, smart and interesting.  Must have a great sense of humor.  Should have a Midwestern feel.

COLLIN: Male 13-14.  Slightly, or more than slightly, overweight.  Collin is confident, driven, optimistic and a natural leader.  Must have a great sense of humor. Should have a Midwestern feel.

NATALIE: Female 13-14.   A natural beauty – she is stunning, but not the “cheerleader” type.  Strong and confident, but has an underlying sadness. Should have a Midwestern feel. ALL AUDITIONS SHOULD BE SENT via E-MAIL QUICKTIMES TO:
selftapes@gmail.com

Your email must include:

• A scan of your completed Consent Form, signed by your parent or guardian

• A scan of your completed Contact Form

• Your audition video.

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*** DEADLINE: June 7, 2010 ***

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Please contact selftapes@gmail.com with any questions.

Thank you for your interest and participation and we hope you have fun preparing your audition. Break a Leg!