28 June 2003
The Herald Sun - click
here for original source
Soldier
bid for film epic
By Maria
Moscaritolo
AUSTRALIA'S bid to clinch the film Alexander the Great hangs on one thing -- hardened soldiers and cadets to play the Macedonian's army.
Moulin Rouge director Baz Luhrmann said without defence force manpower the epic would be filmed overseas.
"If we knew we had these 200 troops tomorrow, it's a done thing -- without it, we're gone, we can't really do it," he said.
"This isn't just a 'gee, wouldn't it be nice', this is technical reality."
Broken Hill is tipped to stage the $300 million blockbuster, which will star Leonardo Di Caprio as Alexander and Nicole Kidman as his mother, Olympia.
"We need a few hundred soldiers, or cadets, or police ... we really need guys who can bivouac down and be in the desert, otherwise we just can't do it," he said.
Luhrmann met Prime Minister John Howard yesterday.
A spokesman for Mr Howard said the Government was seriously considering the request.