Catch glimpses of East Texas, NWLA in new ‘Caddo Lake’ movie

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) – If you live in the ArkLaTex, you may have spent some time on Caddo Lake, which is now the backdrop of a new movie.

The movie, which is named after the lake, filmed scenes in both Louisiana and Texas, and most of the extras are from the ArkLaTex.

The movie was produced by M. Night Shyamalan and writer-directors Celine Held and Logan George. Streaming on Max, the plot is a horror/mystery:

“When an 8-year-old girl mysteriously vanishes, a series of past deaths and disappearances start to link together, forever altering a broken family’s history.”

Casting calls were held back in August of 2021, when crews were looking to audition locals from East Texas, Shreveport and other areas around Caddo Lake. Producers also held a vehicle casting call in October of 2021 during which they sought cars, trucks and motorcycles that were made between 1998 and 2004.

One Shreveport-Bossier actor, who played a part in the movie, was able to go to New York for the premiere.

“I mean, I couldn’t believe it. Just to be at the premiere with the stars of the movie, with the producers, the directors, it was great. It was a great experience,” Zedrick Tinsley said.

He said he wants to audition for more roles in the future.

“The casting director…told me she don’t always like to cast like non-actors. She loves to cast people from the areas that they shoot sometimes because sometimes that can bring an originality, you know, to the movie,” Tinsley said.

Assistant production manager Tony Yuse said the film had on average 120 crewmembers working on a given day; the project shot for 36 days. About 65% of cast members were from Shreveport, and about 25% were from elsewhere in Louisiana (out of either Baton Rouge or New Orleans), Yuse said. The remaining 10% or so were from places like New York and Los Angeles.

All of the extras used in the film were from the ArkLaTex, Yuse said.

Wade Marshall, film and entertainment commissioner for Visit Shreveport-Bossier, said the project started in 2021 and employed a lot of local film crewmembers and vendors. He said he hopes the movie brings some tourists to Caddo Lake and the surrounding areas.

“Caddo Lake,” will be making its debut on Max Thursday, Oct. 10!

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