The crowds gathered early in Alicante for a chance to appear in Exodus, the film about the old testament prophet Moses to be shot by Oscar winner Ridley Scott.
With €80 a day up for grabs for each day on the set, there was far more interest than planners anticipated.
Organizers struggled to keep control as a good-natured crowd of would-be sandalled extras chanted and clapped in the long queues.
With over 1,000 people vying to to be in the potential blockbuster, the wannabe actors made a small in among the 3,700 residents of Pechina where the casting was taking place.
Check out The Local's List of top ten movie quotes in Spanish.
"The building is surrounded," said one organizer, who appeared calm despite the excitement.
In June, Scott has said the film would be released in 2014.
Although no major star has been confirmed yet for the leading role of Moses, there are rumours that it will be English actor Christian Bale playing the religious figure.
Scott, from South Shields in northern England, has previously filmed Kingdom of Heaven and 1492: Conquest of Paradise in Seville, Córdoba and Granada.
The filming of Exodus is expected to take some 19 weeks.
Organizers are currently looking for people with a suitably Mediterranean complexion to make up the numbers in the epic.
Member comments