Britain’s Pitt Stop

One of the biggest budgeted movies currently in production is heading for these shores this Spring. Wolfgang Petersen's Troy has an embarrassment of stars already in position, including Brad Pitt, Orlando Bloom, Peter O'Toole and Julie Christie and according to today's reports in Variety, filming will start in London this April before moving on to Malta and then Morocco. Fears of war had raised rumours that an alternative would be found for shooting in Morocco, but Petersen doesn't seem fazed at the prospect of possible conflict. ''We won't be shooting those final battle scenes until July or August,' the director says. 'If things are going on in the world that make Morocco impossible, we have explored Mexico and Spain. Of course, we will take care of the security and safety of everybody involved, but the movie will happen and there won't be a week of delay. Everything is in place, cast included.' In addition to filming here in the UK, Troy will also feature a large number of British actors including Brian Cox, Sean Bean and Saffron Burrows. Unfortunately, the truly epic battle scenes starring thousands of ships and some tens of thousands of extras won't be shot on these shores, but the Empire Online team look forward to tracking down Mr Pitt when he's here in town. Petersen is still looking for an actress to play Helen to Pitt's Achilles and Bloom's Paris. And it seems the face who launched a thousand ships will be played by a newcomer. Apparently the director is close to casting his leading lady after a worldwide search; 'She has to be believable as the face that launched 1,000 ships and caused the Greeks to go against Troy,' he explains. 'She has to be that beautiful.'