A casting director for the horror thriller "Shelter'' has been fired after West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin's office objected to what it termed an insensitive casting call for extras with unusual features.

Donna Belajac Casting's Web site initially advertised the scene as being set in a "West Virginia 'holler,''' but producers Emilio Diez Barroso and Darlene Caamano Loquet said the movie is not set in West Virginia and the state will not even be mentioned.

"On behalf of the entire SHELTER production we regret and are deeply sorry for the very insensitive casting call sent out without our knowledge by our casting director Donna Belajac who has been dismissed from this project as a result,'' Barroso and Loquet said in a statement issued Tuesday night.

Manchin spokeswoman Lara Ramsburg said the West Virginia Film Office contacted the producers Tuesday night on behalf of the governor.

"They weren't aware of all that had transpired,'' Ramsburg said today. "They quickly became aware.''

Casting agency director Donna Belajac did not respond to calls seeking comment Tuesday and today.

The casting call said the film was looking for extras who are extraordinarily tall or short, those with unusual body shapes and unusual facial features, especially eyes, and even people with physical abnormalities as long as they have normal mobility.

The casting call also advertised for a 9- to 12-year-old white girl with an "other-worldly look ... could be an albino or something along those lines -- she's someone who is visually different and therefore has a closer contact to the gods and to magic. 'Regular-looking' children should not attend this open call.''

"Shelter'' stars Julianne Moore and is being produced by Nala Films in Los Angeles. It is being shot in Pittsburgh but the story's location is not specified.

Belajac told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on Monday that the casting call was not meant to stereotype people from West Virginia.

A casting director for the horror thriller "Shelter'' has been fired after West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin's office objected to what it termed an insensitive casting call for extras with unusual features.

Donna Belajac Casting's Web site initially advertised the scene as being set in a "West Virginia 'holler,''' but producers Emilio Diez Barroso and Darlene Caamano Loquet said the movie is not set in West Virginia and the state will not even be mentioned.

"On behalf of the entire SHELTER production we regret and are deeply sorry for the very insensitive casting call sent out without our knowledge by our casting director Donna Belajac who has been dismissed from this project as a result,'' Barroso and Loquet said in a statement issued Tuesday night.

Manchin spokeswoman Lara Ramsburg said the West Virginia Film Office contacted the producers Tuesday night on behalf of the governor.

"They weren't aware of all that had transpired,'' Ramsburg said today. "They quickly became aware.''

Casting agency director Donna Belajac did not respond to calls seeking comment Tuesday and today.

The casting call said the film was looking for extras who are extraordinarily tall or short, those with unusual body shapes and unusual facial features, especially eyes, and even people with physical abnormalities as long as they have normal mobility.

The casting call also advertised for a 9- to 12-year-old white girl with an "other-worldly look ... could be an albino or something along those lines -- she's someone who is visually different and therefore has a closer contact to the gods and to magic. 'Regular-looking' children should not attend this open call.''

"Shelter'' stars Julianne Moore and is being produced by Nala Films in Los Angeles. It is being shot in Pittsburgh but the story's location is not specified.

Belajac told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on Monday that the casting call was not meant to stereotype people from West Virginia.