"Last Legion" Begins
Production
Posted: Wednesday
July 27th, 2005 3:18pm
Source:
Dark Horizons
Author:
Garth Franklin
Filming commences in
Tunisia on August 5th on THE LAST LEGION, a Dino De Laurentiis presentation
produced by Martha De Laurentiis and Raffaella De Laurentiis, to be directed
by Doug Lefler. Aishwarya Rai has been signed to star alongside Colin Firth
and Sir Ben Kingsley. THE LAST LEGION is an independently financed film
produced in partnership with Quinta Communications' Tarak Ben Ammar and
British co-producers Chris Curling and Phil Robertson of Zephyr Films.
Part fact, part legend,
THE LAST LEGION is an epic adventure based on acclaimed author Valerio
Massimo Manfredi's international best-selling 2003 novel of the same name.
The film is set against the fall of the Roman Empire in 470AD and its last
emperor, 12-year-old Romulus Augustus (Thomas Sangster).
Over-run with rebellion,
Rome is a city on the brink of chaos and destruction. Imprisoned by rebels
on the island-fortress of Capri, Romulus, aided by the clever strategies
of his teacher Ambrosinus (Sir Ben Kingsley) and the heroic skills of his
legionnaire Aurelius (Colin Firth), escape the island. Despite the turbulent
events around them, this small band of Roman soldiers, accompanied by Byzantine
warrior Mira (Aishwarya Rai), are determined to continue their mission
to restore the Empire. This resolute group sets out on an arduous and dangerous
trek for Britannia in search of the Last Legion, in their bid to make one
final stand for Rome.
The producers have assembled
a stellar cast on this epic film about courage, loyalty and unfailing resolve.
Previously hailed as the Queen of Bollywood, Aishwarya Rai most recently
starred in 'Bride and Prejudice' directed by Gurinder Chadha. Her other
credits include 'Devdas', which was nominated for a BAFTA and she has just
completed filming on Roland Joffé's 'Singularity' alongside Brendan
Fraser.
Director Doug Lefler,
whose credits include second unit direction on 'Spider-Man' and 'A Simple
Plan', explains that "The list of requirements for the one major female
role in the film, Mira, was long. We needed an actress of rare beauty,
with enough screen presence to hold her own against the likes of Colin
Firth and Sir Ben Kingsley.) Aishwarya was the obvious choice".
Colin Firth most recently
starred in 'Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason' and Atom Egoyan's 'Where
the Truth Lies', which screened in competition at this year's Cannes Film
Festival. Next up for Firth is Working Title's "Nanny McPhee" opposite
Emma Thompson.
Academy-award winner
Sir Ben Kingsley, stars as Fagin in Roman Polanski's upcoming 'Oliver Twist'
and in director Paul McGuigan's thriller 'Lucky Number Slevin'.
Rounding off this headline
cast are 15-year old Thomas Sangster ('Love Actually', 'Nanny McPhee')
who has signed to play the major role of the young Romulus Augustus; Peter
Mullan ('Braveheart', 'Trainspotting', 'Criminal') as Goth general Odoacer;
John Hannah ('The Mummy Returns', 'The Hurricane', 'Sliding Doors'); and
veteran Scottish actor James Cosmo ('Troy', 'Trainspotting', 'Highlander').
The production will
move from Tunisia to Slovakia in September. Filming is scheduled to complete
at the end of October.
THE LAST LEGION reteams
Dino De Laurentiis and Martha De Laurentiis with Tarak Ben Ammar, Chris
Curling and Phil Robertson, who recently completed principal photography
in Italy on 'DECAMERON: Angels and Virgins'. The film stars Hayden Christensen,
Mischa Barton and Tim Roth.
Harvey and Bob Weinstein
have acquired North American distribution rights to THE LAST LEGION.
Posted:
Tue., Jul. 26, 2005, 7:44am PT
Roman holiday for Rai
Epic to start shooting
August 5
By ADAM DAWTREY
LONDON -- Aishwarya
Rai has joined the cast of "The Last Legion," which Doug Lefler will direct
for producer Dino De Laurentiis.
Already cast in sword-and-sandal
epic, which starts shooting Aug. 5 in Tunisia, are Colin FirthColin Firth,
Ben Kingsley and Thomas Sangster.
Based on Valerio Massimo
Manfredi's bestseller, the film is set in 470 A.D.A.D. as the Roman empire
crumbles. It's the story of Rome's last emperor, the 12-year-old Romulus
Augustus, who escapes the rebels over-running the city and embarks on a
perilous trek to Britain with a small band of companions to track down
his last legion.
Peter MullanPeter Mullan,
John Hannah and James Cosmo play supporting roles.
The independently financed
pic is produced by Martha and Raffaella De Laurentiis, in partnership with
Tarak Ben Ammar's Quinta Communications and British co-producers Chris
Curling and Phil Robertson of Zephyr Films.
North American rights
have been pre-sold to the Weinstein Co. as part of a three-pic deal including
"Decameron" and "Young Hannibal."
Date in print: Wed.,
Jul. 27, 2005, Los Angeles
Aishwarya Rai Joins The
Last Legion
Source: Variety July 26,
2005
Variety reports that
Aishwarya Rai has joined the cast of The Last Legion, which will be directed
by Doug Lefler for producer Dino De Laurentiis. The cast of the epic film,
which starts shooting August 5th in Tunisia, includes Colin Firth, Ben
Kingsley and Thomas Sangster.
Based on Valerio Massimo
Manfredi's bestseller, the action-adventure film is set during the fall
of the Roman Empire when its last emperor, 12-year-old Romulus Augustus,
ruled for one day before being imprisoned on the island of Capri. With
the help of teacher Abrosinus (Firth) and legionnaire Aurelius (Kingsley),
Augustus escapes to make a last stand for Rome.
[ed. actually this
article has is backwards, Mr. Kingsley plays the teacher Abrosinus and
Mr. Firth plays legionnaire Aurelius]
Peter Mullan, John Hannah
and James Cosmo play supporting roles. The Weinstein Co. will distribute.
Ash goes to Hollywood,
finally!
Subhash K Jha | June 20,
2005 14:31 IST
rediff.com
Aishwarya
Rai begins work on her first Hollywood project this August.
The film, entitled The
Last Legion, will be shot in Tunisia, Capri and Slovakia.
It is a classic period
drama featuring Ben Kingsley (Gandhi) and Colin Firth (Bridget Jones' Diary),
with Ash as the only female lead.
Ash isn't allowed to
speak about the costume drama as yet. But it's reliably learnt that the
Dino De Laurentiis production is to be shot with an estimated $70 million
budget.
The project's buzz was
so positive at Cannes last month that Harvey Weinstein (who recently left
Miramax to start his own production and distribution company with his brother,
Bob) immediately bought the North American distribution rights to Last
Legion.
Doug Lefler, who directed
several episodes of the television shows Hercules and J.A.G., and served
as the second unit director on Spider-Man, will direct the film.
Restraining from commenting
on The Last Legion, Ash spoke about her international career. "There never
was any doubt in my mind about which way my career abroad would go. Only
the doubters back home seemed to feel I was imagining the offers from abroad,
when in fact they were coming in constantly.
"Yes, I've been offered
several international projects which I couldn't do because of date problems.
When it came to choosing between a film in Bollywood and its international
counterpart, I was very clear I'd always opt for the former," she says.
All said and done, Ash's
career abroad is starting now. After (Gurinder Chadha's husband) Paul Mayeda
Berges' Mistress Of Spices and Jagmohan Mundhra's Provoked where she plays
Indian characters for an international audience, in The Last Legion she'll
finally play a character that has nothing to do with her nationality.
Copyright
© 2005 rediff.com
Reproduced
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