‘Alexander’ retreats from Morocco
Morocco’s film industry suffered a setback this week when producer Dino De Laurentiis said he was aborting plans to film the Leonardo DiCaprio-Nicole Kidman historical epic “Alexander the Great” in the North African country because of safety concerns following terrorist bombings in Casablanca that left 41 people dead.
“Unless the situation changes in five or six months, any important American actor could be a target,” De Laurentiis said. “That’s a risk I cannot take.”
The move means that director Baz Luhrmann will probably begin shooting “Alexander the Great” next spring in Australia, according to a Universal spokesman.
Meanwhile, director Oliver Stone, who is developing his own “Alexander the Great” project that will star heartthrob Colin Farrell, is reportedly considering alternative locations to Morocco.
And last month, director Wolfgang Petersen’s “Troy” starring Brad Pitt moved filming to Malta, Mexico and London.
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Robert W. Welkos
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