ALBANY - Actor James Franco was spotted eating lunch downtown Thursday afternoon.

Franco was with a group of people at Yono's Restaurant on Chapel Street. Although unconfirmed, the actor was reportedly in town as part of a filmmaking team scouting locations for "The Pretenders," a new film to start shooting Oct. 24. He had previously been spotted on Pearl Street.

Few other details have been released regarding the movie, but an open casting call was held at the visitors' bureau at Quackenbush Square for "all types of people for background, all ethnicities, all types in the 1970's and 1980's," including "joggers, moviegoers, bar patrons, theater goers, college students in the 70s, fancy restaurant patrons, gallery patrons, club goers."

Franco has starred in a number of film including "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," "Pineapple Express," "The Interview" and several of the Spider-man movies.