25 Aug 2006
Dubai: Filming of a movie starring James Bond legend Sir Roger Moore is due to start after Ramadan, producers have announced.
Officials creating archaeological thriller The Sangraal say they hope Sir Roger and his co-star Robert Downey Jr will be in the UAE for shooting in late October.
The film's producers have also revealed they could carry out a second "Search for a Star" talent contest to find a male actor for a separate film, just as they held a competition to find the female lead for The Sangraal.
William Baker, Vice-President of Mirage Holdings, which is behind The Sangraal, said the new talent search would be for a film centred on the Arab world.
"We're contemplating another search for a star involving male actors. It's more of an ancient old Arabic epic," he said.
Tania Assi, from Lebanon, was selected during the previous Search for a Star and is due to be filming with Sir Roger and Downey Jr.
Baker said the script of The Sangraal had been through re-writes and that filming was likely to take place in Prague as well as the UAE.
"In October we expect both of them [Sir Roger and Downey Jr] to be here. The schedule depends on the scripting. We're trying to piece together the people and get their schedules set up," he said.
He added that ideally filming would be completed by the end of the year although it could stretch into 2007.
Mirage Holdings announced earlier this year that it was setting up a huge film studio complex in Ras Al Khaimah.
Baker said the visual effects for The Sangraal which has been described as a cross between Indiana Jones, The X Files and Nicholas Cage's National Treasure would be produced in-house by Mirage.
As well as Sir Roger and Downey Jr, other stars lined up for the film include John Rhys Davies, who played Gimli in Lord of the Rings, and Joachim de Almeida from the television series 24.
Gulf News 2006. All rights reserved.
