ASU Marching Band to Appear in New Vin Diesel Movie
The Alabama State University Mighty Marching Hornets band will be seen worldwide in a new movie scheduled for release in November.
The University’s band gathered for a scene they’ve enacted countless times on the field of play. The Hornets were decked out in their trademark black and ‘old’ gold uniforms. The drum line kept rhythm. The color guard twirled flags. They all marched in perfect unison to the middle of the football field.
And then suddenly, someone yelled, “Cut!”
The Marching Hornets were shooting a scene for “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk,” a film starring Vin Diesel, Joe Alwyn, Steve Martin and Chris Tucker. The film, based on the book by the same name, is about 19-year-old Billy Lynn, who is brought home for a victory tour after a harrowing Iraq battle. Through flashbacks, the film shows what really happened to his squad – contrasting the realities of war with America’s perceptions.
Meghan Currier of Search Party Music Casting for Sony Pictures was looking for the right band for the halftime scene and got in touch with the ASU Mighty Marching Hornets band director James Oliver. He said that he was thrilled to showcase the band on a national level.
“This exposure is giving ASU and the Marching Hornets the national recruiting opportunity to reach out to other states and countries,” Oliver said.
The band performs two songs in the film by Destiny’s Child, “Soldier” and “Lose My Breath.”
“Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” is scheduled to be released in the U. S. on Nov. 11.
