THE LAST LEGION
Synopsis
Rome, 476 AD. The Roman Empire is being threatened. A mighty force for almost 500 years, (at its
height, Rome’s power spread from Mesopotamia in the east to the Iberian peninsula in the west, from
the Rhine and Danube in the north to Egypt in the south), this story follows the gripping capture of
young Romulus Augustus (THOMAS SANGSTER).
On the eve of twelve-year-old Romulus Augustus’ crowning ceremony to become the new emperor,
Barbarian general Odoacer (PETER MULLAN) arrives in Rome to make a deal with Orestes (IAIN GLEN).
Odoacer makes demands of the Roman Empire in fair exchange for his decade-long support of the
Roman legions in the east. But Orestes refuses.
On Coronation day, as all of Rome gathers to watch the proceedings, Ambrosinus (SIR BEN KINGSLEY),
the shaman who is a mentor and tutor to Romulus, predicts danger. Orestes is worried about his son’s
safety and appoints Aurelius (COLIN FIRTH) of the fourth legion to be his personal guard. That night,
Aurelius and his legionnaires confront danger—Odoacer and his army have returned to Rome.
With a deafening roar, the Barbarian army storms the city. A battle ensues, the brutal invaders show no
mercy and blood flows through the streets. With Orestes slaughtered, Romulus is captured along with
Ambrosinus and taken to the island fortress of Capri. There, Romulus finds the mythical sword of Caesar
that holds the prophecy, “One edge to defend, one to defeat; …to fit the hand of he...who is destined to
rule.”
But, not all the Roman legionnaires are dead. Aurelius is alive and when he learns that the Byzantine
Empire will give Romulus sanctuary, he embarks on a journey to the coast accompanied by a small group
of his men and a mysterious, black-clad Byzantine warrior. Later, Aurelius discovers what lies behind the
black clothing—a beautiful, young woman named Mira (AISHWARYA RAI).
Thanks to the strategic cunning of Ambrosinus and the fighting skill of Aurelius and Mira, Romulus is
freed. But, when the group arrives on shore, they learn that the Byzantines have joined forces with
Odoacer’s army of Goths. Faced with such betrayal, they must find the one legion still loyal to Rome—
the ninth legion in Britannia.
As they set off in search of the last legion, Romulus and Aurelius together embark on a new beginning.
About the Production
When principal photography began in Tunisia in August 2005, THE LAST LEGION finally became a reality.
More than six years ago, Martha and Dino De Laurentiis started toying with the idea of making an action
film based upon the fall of the Roman Empire. For the producers, the film had the makings of an epic
adventure with the intimate story of a boy and his protectors at the heart.
"We based the idea on the book by Valerio Manfredi—The Last Legion—but combined that with
historical facts and what was already known about the last Roman Emperor," says Martha De Laurentiis.
"Nobody really knows what caused the fall of the Roman Empire and we decided to use that backdrop of
chaos to tell the story of the last Emperor, a young boy, and his attempt to save the Empire. The fact
that he was only 12 years old was at the root of the story."
The story follows the historically accurate fortunes of the 12-year-old Romulus Augustus, the last Roman
Emperor who briefly rules the city before his parents are killed during the capture of Rome and he is
banished to the fortress island of Capri. The story then speculates on what might have happened
immediately thereafter. It follows the adventures of the soldiers still loyal to Caesar, who engineer his
escape and then flee to distant Britannia, in search of the one legion still loyal to Rome.
Once the screenplay was completed, the next task was to find a director who could combine the
contrasting elements of the story successfully.
Dino's daughter Raffaella De Laurentiis suggested Doug Lefler, as she had previously worked with him on
DRAGONHEART 2. Both Raffaella and Martha thought he was the perfect choice: "Doug is an artist as
well as a great action director. He could combine the epic scenes with the more intimate ones. He has a
lot of experience working with the best action directors and his experience with animation gives him a
clear idea how to tell a story. From the outset, he knew how he was visually going to tell this story, he
storyboarded every single frame."
Doug Lefler explains how he became involved and what appealed to him about the project: "I was in a
bookstore doing research on another project when I got a phone call from Raffaella De Laurentiis asking
if I would read the script for a movie she and her father were working on. I read it that night and the
next day I called her and said I would love to do it. This project is similar in a lot of ways to another film
that she gave me about seven years ago, called DRAGONHEART 2, but bigger, grander and more
complicated! The story is seen through the eyes of a 12-year-old child and that's the thing that was
really fascinating to me. It's a very human, but also an epic story—an intimate epic. The film is very
grounded in the characters, even though there are these huge events are going on around them. As a
director, the most you can hope for in a project is that you get a compelling story and a good cast. I was
lucky to get both."
Casting the Film
Finding the right actors for the central roles of Aurelius, the leader of the band protecting Caesar, and
Romulus, the 12-year old Emperor, was key. Harvey Weinstein was instrumental in casting the central
role. "Harvey loved this script and he immediately suggested Colin Firth," explains Martha De Laurentiis.
"So, we met Colin who really liked the script and loves Italian culture. He was very keen to try something
different than the roles he is so well known for. He is a powerful actor and this was a fantastic
opportunity for him to do something totally different."
The appeal for Colin Firth, best known for his performances as the brooding Mark Darcy in BBC’s PRIDE
AND PREJUDICE and in the BRIDGET JONES films, was partly the chance to undertake a very different
role, but also the attraction of the adventure story: "I've never been anywhere near this genre before. I
haven't done anything with this much action and I didn't know what to expect. First and foremost, it was
the story that attracted me; an adventure with a beginning middle and an end, in which you see the
characters develop. There's also a bit of magic in it. It made me think of the way that I enjoyed stories
when I was a child, which I think is storytelling in its purest form and, it gave me something of that. It felt
different to any other thing I've done and I found that appealing. It involves a different set of skills that
I've never really exercised."
Director Lefler didn't want to replicate how other action movies were cast: "We were looking for
somebody that was a strong character, but I wanted the character of Aurelius to be more intelligent
than he was brawny. So, we looked for an actor who could convey that sense of intelligence. We were
very careful with casting. We wanted to do things that were unexpected, but right. In some ways, I was
modeling the character of Aurelius after Horatio Hornblower. I wanted him to be more of a strategist
than just somebody who was good with a sword. Colin has risen to that challenge wonderfully."
The role of young Romulus went to Thomas Sangster, known for his roles in LOVE ACTUALLY and NANNY
McPHEE, both of which starred Firth. Sangster was inspired to become an actor at a tender age after
seeing his parents, both actors by profession, performing. "I thought I'd give it a go as it looked like fun,"
he says. "So, I had a couple of photos done and sent them off to their agent and started getting
auditions. I got my first part and it just escalated from there."
About working with Firth for the third time, Sangster says: "I get to know him a bit better on each film
we do. It's a relief coming onto a film where you already know someone, and somebody knows you and
what you're like."
For the young actor, the film also had an educational element: "I had studied the Romans in school, but
doing this film, I've learned a lot more about the Romans than I did when I was younger."
Director Lefler says of his young star: "Thomas turned out to be such a delight. He's great. What an
incredibly talented young man!" Martha De Laurentiis adds: "Thomas was one of the last pieces of
casting to fall into place. We were initially concerned with his size as he has to have the ability to fight
and to carry a sword, but he had the physicality as well as the experience. We were very pleased to have
him."
Colin Firth was delighted to be reunited with his young co-star and says that he was cast on his own
merit: "It helped that I knew him already, but they had already clocked him for the role before I came on
board. I kept my fingers crossed that he would be cast, and when they tested these boys, he won hands
down. I wanted to work with him again because I knew that he's a terrific actor, but also because when
you've worked with someone before, it gives you a shorthand. There's a trust, so you don't have to start
from scratch."
Sir Ben Kingsley, who plays the role of his teacher Ambrosinus, adds: "He's a very contained, very private
child. As an actor, he has the capacity to dwell very much in his own world and I think one of the lessons
I'm learning from this role and from working with young people—I recently did OLIVER TWIST with
director Roman Polanski where I worked with a lot of very young actors—is not to interrupt them. If you
see them digesting and exploring a private moment, I tend to just sit with it. So, we have a very gentle,
very quiet, very respectful relationship both off and on the screen."
Lefler knew he wanted to cast Academy Award-winner Kingsley after their first meeting: "We both had
the same ideas for the character, we both saw him the same way—as a warrior shaman. Sir Ben's
description of the character even matched some of the initial drawings I had done. I wanted him to be
physically strong and able to fight, but in an unconventional way."
"Sir Ben was very serious in his preparation for the role and researched a lot of background material,"
Martha De Laurentiis adds. "He was interested in how the other characters affected his role and how he
would affect them. He was great at helping Doug too, because he is so open about how he feels. He is
really good in the role!"
Kingsley, found the part of Ambrosinus very appealing: "I love mythology, I love storytelling, I love
shamanism, mystery, magic, healing powers, all these things really attract me and I found all these
ingredients in the film and particularly in my character. I found the whole collection of men and women
around this child very compelling and very moving. I responded to this role with my heart."
For the role of the mysterious Byzantine warrior Mira, the filmmakers turned to Bollywood star
Aishwarya Rai. "In the casting of Mira, we needed somebody that had a rare beauty, but we also needed
somebody who could move very well. I had watched some of Aishwarya's movies and I know that she's
trained as a dancer and that is good preparation for doing martial arts and fighting," says Lefler. "Her
character had to do a lot of action scenes and we could take a lot of license with Mira’s character. There
was a very short list of people who could play this part and Aishwarya was top of that list. We were
privileged to get her."
Martha De Laurentiis adds: "Besides her beauty, she has such a charisma and warmth on screen. She has
a really good chemistry with Colin Firth so you are emotionally involved in their relationship. As a
dancer, she knows how to move, so she could be fast and elegant in the fight scenes. She was keen to
take the role—to play the action hero - which was a challenge unlike any other part she has done."
Playing a more masculine role than she is used to appealed to Rai, best known for her performances in
BRIDE & PREJUDICE and DEVDAS: "I've never done a character like Mira before and I like to give
audiences something new with every film I do. I liked the idea of playing a warrior. We have reserves of
strength and I guess the Mira in all of us comes out when provoked. She was a character I could identify
with and I am sure other women will too."
The Costumes
As with any period film, the costumes helped the actors get into character. Paolo Scalabrino, who has
extensive experience on historical films, having worked on GANGS OF NEW YORK, TROY and the
IMPERIUM television series, had to deal with the challenge of very limited source material. “There’s very
little documentation on the period, but the one thing Doug Lefler was adamant about was that the
costumes had to convey strength. Our main characters, Aurelius and the other legionnaires, spend most
of the film traveling, so they are wearing lighter armor than usual. The look is very leathery, they’re not
bulky, heavy costumes. This contrasts with what the legionnaires are wearing when they arrive in Rome
at the beginning of the film for the coronation of Romulus Augustus—those costumes are much more
official.”
One of his biggest challenges was dressing Aishwarya Rai as Mira. “My first impression of Aishwarya in
our initial meeting in London was of a very beautiful, feminine, delicate lady,” recalls the designer.
“However, when she turned-up for work one month later she was toughened-up, well-toned and
determined. She was a different person. She had put a lot of physical and mental energy into preparing
for the role.”
“Doug wanted Mira to have an Asian edge so we gave her a Byzantine look,” continues Scalabrino. “For
the story, she had to look very masculine at the beginning so we had to cover up her femininity. To
achieve this, we used leather and metal to give her a harder, flatter silhouette. The problem was that
she, like all the actors, had to be able to move around freely during the action sequences, so we sewed
the harder materials onto a background of natural fabrics including wools, cottons, linens and silks—
that’s what we used for all the costumes. We also used a lot of fake metals and leather painted on as
metal. That allowed for flexibility.”
The Fight Scenes
It was important for Lefler to have a seamless transition from dramatic scenes to action scenes. "I think
it's a big mistake to think that action scenes are somehow radically different from other scenes," he
explains. "There are a lot of films where the character development is one element of the story and the
action is another. And I think that's a mistake. You find out who people are in action. When you have a
desperate situation, you find out who's actually brave, who's actually responsible, who falls apart, who
becomes the leader in an extreme situation. You don't want to stop the character development to have
an action scene and then go back to character development. So, I think of action dramatically, the same
way I would think of any other part of the script."
Firth adds: "It's not about digital battles and special effects with huge numbers of extras. I think a battle
can only work if you are rooting for someone. You're only going to root for someone if you care about
that person, so you have to have known them through the course of the story."
To this end, Lefler was keen that each character had his own fighting style. "Sir Ben as Ambrosinus fights
with a staff in an unconventional way," he says. "Mira, is perhaps the best swordsman of the group. She
tended to be all about grace and fluidity and speed. Rupert Friend plays Demetrius, who's the showoff—he's very flashy, he's young and brash. They all have their own styles and were all a reflection of
who they are and what their place is in the story. Initially we thought that the main attribute of Nonzo
Anozie, who plays Batiatus, would be strength, but when we started working with him we saw how light
on his feet he was, so we played on that. We've tried to let the actors' own personalities come through
in these characters."
Lefler took the slightly unusual step of drawing up storyboards for all of the action scenes before
starting to work with the stunt and fight coordinators. "I gave them my ideas first which they then took
to the next level. A lot of the sequences were designed very thoroughly before we got anybody else
involved. Sword Master Richard Ryan and Steve Griffin our Stunt Coordinator, have done a great job of
taking what I gave them and making them work in a practical way. When you sit down at your drawing
board and you sketch up an idea, you don't always know if it's physically possible. It's always wonderful
when you see something come to life and it actually works."
Sword Master Richard Ryan elaborates: "The challenge was having four characters using essentially the
same weapons, but fighting distinctly from each other. We gave Vatrenus a small shield that he fought
with. For Aurelius, we wanted to show that he was a tactical fighter and only fought if he had to. We
gave Byzantine warrior Mira an inverted grip of the sword, which was consistent with the world she
would have come from. While Demetrius, who's a younger more impulsive character has two swords to
give him a slightly quicker style for the quicksilver character that he is."
A lot of work was put into training the actors to a high standard for the fight scenes so that the scenes
look spontaneous and not choreographed. Stunt doubles were used to choreograph the fights and to
teach them to the actors, but the actors learned the fights with gusto and performed them themselves.
Says Ryan: "The preparation is important to get the performers to a level where they can fully commit to
a fight with any necessary aggression that's needed, but have enough control that they're not really
going to be hitting each other. They know how to cut the sword up or re-direct the energy so that they
can play the fight."
To learn the method takes some training. About two months before filming began Colin Firth started
learning the basics—how to hold the sword, how it worked for this particular period—and discussed his
fighting style with Richard Ryan. Firth had previously learned to fight with swords at drama school and
had also performed fights on stage: "It's a dance that you have to learn. What was new for me were
these kinds of weapons. I had to unlearn the slightly more flowery eighteenth century stuff with the
small swords and all the fancy footwork. These are big pieces of steel and I was a little worried about
ever being able to move with it elegantly. I started early and worked with the fight director before
filming started to acquaint me with the style and I came to love it. It's something I would almost take up.
You use your body differently and in a more simple way."
Sir Ben Kingsley started training in his garden in Oxfordshire, on the croquet lawn, a couple of months
before filming began to get used to using his stick: "It's basically like a silaylie, an Irish stick. It is a violent
way of fighting where you use one fist as a fulcrum and you pull the stick around and by the time you hit
your opponent, it's traveling at quite a speed with a hook on the end, so you can disarm them with it,
you can snap wrists with it, you can cut their throats with it. It's really quite violent! I enjoy learning any
new discipline and I particularly enjoyed learning this sort of martial art. We have very good teachers, so
we all felt confident about what we were doing."
Firth adds: "I hope the fights are as exciting as some of the great fights that I remember seeing in the
cinema. I remember caring about the outcome because you had become invested in the character and
wanting revenge or success on behalf of the character for which you are rooting."
Lefler sums up his philosophy for the action scenes: "In some ways, we were aided in this project by not
having a huge budget. I think when you have a huge budget, you often have a lot of toys and then you
have a lot of extras and a lot of visual effects. When you don't have all of that to work with, you tend to
naturally focus more on the characters, and what the characters are thinking becomes more important
than the number of soldiers you have charging in the background. We also really wanted to avoid doing
a film where we had a lot of CGI armies because we felt like that was something we've all seen a lot of. It
doesn't mean anything now. It doesn't get anybody excited any more to see a thousand people running
around behind your heroes with swords. We've seen too much of it. So we were very focused on the
story, characters and the emotional point of each scene."The Locations
Filming took place over 14 weeks between August and November of 2005, with the shoot moving from
Tunisia in North Africa, (standing in for Rome), to Slovakia in Eastern Europe (which doubled for
Britannia).
Martha De Laurentiis explains: "Tunisia is not so far from southern Italy. It looks and feels the same. It's
the same terrain, the same sea. Because Tunisia is also still rather unspoiled and not as built up as Italy,
it is easier to film there. There is a fantastic studio there, Empire Studios, where they recreated Rome.
They seem to have kept every building from every production ever made there. So that was a big plus,
we didn't have to rebuild ancient Rome, it already existed there!"
Tabarka, on the northern coast of Tunisia, and the crystal clear blue sea around it stood in for the Island
of Capri, while Spisske Castle in Slovakia was used for the scenes in Britannia.
"We wanted Britannia to look completely different from Rome. Tunisia and Slovakia are poles apart,"
says Martha De Laurentiis. "The castle was so absolutely perfect and the views from there are
incredible—the landscape just goes on for miles and miles, completely unspoiled."
For Firth the experience of making the film was very fulfilling: "I came into this not knowing if this was
the sort of genre that I belonged in, and I now feel that I don't really want to do anything else. Of course,
I'll be going off doing other things, but I just want to be on a horse waving a sword about now, traveling
with a group of trusted friends. It's been the most wonderful experience."
Director Lefler says “In a lot of ways we are hoping that this film will appeal to everybody. We haven't
aimed it at a family audience or an adult audience. There are mature elements and family friendly
elements in this story. There are things that are family friendly in this story. It's got action, adventure
and romance, and there's a child at the center of it. It's a story about loyalty and compassion and
friendship. I'd like to think that these are universal elements—that everybody is going to find something
in this film that's worth watching. It's got action and adventure. I'd want to go see this movie!”
THE LAST LEGION About the Cast
COLIN FIRTH / Aurelius
A classically trained British theater actor, Colin Firth is a veteran of film, television and stage. Firth first
charmed American audiences when he starred opposite Renee Zellwegger in the hit British comedy
BRIDGET JONES' DIARY and continues to captivate audiences around the world.
In 2006 Firth appeared in the BBC's BORN EQUAL, directed by Dominic Savage (OUT OF CONTROL). The
film, which was shot with improvised dialogue, follows a wealthy business man (Firth) as he struggles to
help the less fortunate and finds himself inevitably drawn into their lives. Next for Firth was the
independent film AND WHEN DID YOU LAST SEE YOUR FATHER opposite Jim Broadbent for Number 9
films. Based on the best selling memoir by Blake Morrison, the story follows a father and son's
tumultuous relationship. Coming up in 2007 for Firth is the remake of the popular 1954 film ST.
TRINIAN'S, where he will star alongside Rupert Everett, Lena Heady and Mischa Barton.
Firth appeared in the film NANNY MCPHEE with his Last Legion co-star, Thomas Sangster, which was
written by and also starred Emma Thompson. He also appeared in Atom Egoyan's controversial film
WHERE THE TRUTH LIES opposite Kevin Bacon. Adapted from the acclaimed novel by the same name,
the story is a dark thriller about the breakup of a celebrated comedy duo surrounding a mysterious
murder and the journalist (Alison Lohman) who seeks to uncover the mystery. The film screened in
competition at the 2005 Cannes International Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival.
Also in 2005, Firth starred in the Universal/Working Title hit BRIDGET JONES: THE EDGE OF REASON.
Firth reprised his role as Mark Darcy opposite Renee Zellweger and Hugh Grant in the film, which is
based on Helen Fielding's best-selling novel. The film broke numerous box office records internationally
and grossed over 250 million dollars worldwide.
In 2004, Firth appeared in the critically-acclaimed film GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING opposite Scarlett
Johanssen. Based on the best selling novel by Tracy Chevalier, Firth portrayed the 17th century artist
Johannes. GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING screened at the Telluride Film Festival, the Toronto Film Festival,
the Hollywood Film Festival, the London Film Festival and the San Sebastian Film Festival. The film won
both the L'Hitchcock D'Or and the L'Hitchcock d'Argent at the Dinard Festival of British Films. Firth was
nominated for a European Film Award for his performance in the film.
The previous year Firth appeared in the Universal film LOVE ACTUALLY, written and directed by Richard
Curtis (FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL, NOTTING HILL). He appeared in the film with an outstanding
ensemble cast including Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson, Laura Linney and Keira Knightley.
At the time of its release, LOVE ACTUALLY broke box office records as the highest grossing British
romantic comedy opening of all time in the UK and Ireland and is the largest opening in the history of
Working Title Films to date.
In 2002, Firth was seen starring opposite Rupert Everett and Reese Witherspoon in the Miramax Film,
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST. Prior to that, Firth appeared in the Academy Award nominated
film SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE directed by John Madden. Firth portrayed Lord Wessex, the evil husband to
Violet De Lesseps, played by Gwyneth Paltrow.
In 1996, Firth appeared in the multi-Oscar nominated film, THE ENGLISH PATIENT, opposite Kristen Scott
Thomas and Ralph Fiennes. His other film credits include the Marc Evans thriller TRAUMA, WHAT A GIRL
WANTS, HOPE SPRINGS, RELATIVE VALUES, A THOUSAND ACRES, with Michelle Pfeiffer and Jessica
Lange, APARTMENT ZERO, MY LIFE SO FAR, THE SECRET LAUGHTER OF WOMEN, Nick Hornby's FEVER
PITCH, CIRCLE OF FRIENDS, PLAYMAKER, and the title role in Milos Forman's VALMONT opposite
Annette Bening.
On the small screen, Firth is infamous for his breakout role in 1995, when he played Mr. Darcy in the
BBC adaptation of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE for which he received a BAFTA nomination for Best Actor. In
March 2004, Firth hosted NBC's legendary series SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. He was nominated for an
Emmy Award in 2001 for Outstanding Supporting Actor in the critically acclaimed HBO film CONSPIRACY
and has also received the Royal Television Society Best Actor Award and a BAFTA nomination for his
work in TUMBLEDOWN. His other television credits include CELEBRATION, WINDMILLS ON THE CLYDE:
MAKING DONOVAN QUICK, DONOVAN QUICK, THE WIDOWING OF MRS. HOLROYD, DEEP BLUE SEA,
HOSTAGES, and the mini-series NOSTROMO. His London stage debut was in the West End production of
`Another Country' playing Benett. He was then chosen to play the character Judd in the 1984 film
adaptation opposite Rupert Everett.
Firth is an active supporter of Oxfam International, an organization dedicated to fighting poverty and
related injustice around the world. He is a Co-director of Oxfam's Café Progreso, a chain of coffee bars
founded with the intention of creating fair trade opportunities for coffee cooperatives in Ethiopia,
Honduras and Indonesia.
Colin Firth resides in London, England.
SIR BEN KINGSLEY / Ambrosinus
One of the UK's most respected film, television and theatre actors, Academy Award winner Sir Ben
Kingsley's most recent films include John Dahl's YOU KILL ME, Roman Polanski's OLIVER TWIST and Paul
McGuigan's LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN. Kingsley received critical acclaim for his performance in Vadim
Perelman's HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG, for which he received an Oscar nomination. In 2002, Sir Ben
received an Oscar nomination, a Broadcast Film Critics Award, as well as both a SAG and Golden Globe
nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Jonathan Glazer's SEXY BEAST, starring
alongside Ray Winstone and Ian McShane.
Kingsley also gained critical acclaim for his appearance in Robert Dornhelm's four-hour television
production of ANNE FRANK portraying Anne Frank's father Otto Frank. He received a SAG Award as well
as Emmy, Golden Globe and Critics Choice nominations as Outstanding Lead Actor in a miniseries or
feature film for the role.
In 1982, Kingsley won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Sir Richard
Attenborough's GANDHI, followed by a BAFTA Film Award for Best Actor and Best Newcomer. Kingsley
then earned the London Evening Standard Award for Best Actor for his performance in Harold Pinter's
PORTRAYAL.
Sir Ben's other film credits include: Steven Spielberg's harrowing holocaust drama SCHINDLER'S LIST, for
which he won the London Evening Standard Award and a BAFTA Film nomination; BUGSY, for which he
received an Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actor; Bernardo Bertolucci's TRIUMPH OF LOVE;
Stephen Zaillan's BOBBY FISHER; Phylis Nagy's MRS. HARRIS opposite Annette Bening; James Dearden's
PASCALI'S ISLAND; Tony Palmer's TESTIMONY; Roman Polanski's DEATH AND THE MAIDEN; Ivan
Reitman's DAVE; the narrator in Steven Spielberg's A.I.; and Peter Hyams' SOUND OF THUNDER.
Sir Ben's upcoming films include Brad Anderson's TRANSSIBERIAN; Joshua Seftel's WAR INC, starring
alongside brother and sister John and Joan Cusack; and Isabel Coixet's ELEGY featuring Penélope Cruz
and Dennis Hopper.
AISHWARYA RAI / Mira
AISHWARYA RAI (Ash) is one of Bollywood's pre-eminent leading ladies. This Indian darling burst upon
the world stage when her striking beauty, poise and commanding intelligence won her the Miss World
crown in 1994. This former architecture major soon became one of India's most famous models, landing
a prestigious Pepsi campaign and appearing in Vogue magazine. India's top Bollywood directors were
soon lining up to work with Ash. Her film debut in Mani Rathnam's IRUVAR (1997) received critical
acclaim and her performance in Rahul Rawail's ...AUR PAAR HO GAYA (1997) garnered her the Best
Female Debutante Award. In 2000, she was awarded Best Actress by FilmFare and Zee Cine for her work
in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's HUM DIL DE CHUKE SANAM, and in that same year, nominated for Best
Supporting Actress for her special appearance in Aditya Chopra's MOHABBATEIN. In 2001, Ash was
nominated for FilmFare's Best Actress Award for Satish Kaushik's HAMARA DIL AAPKE PAAS HAI.
Ash's star continued to rise in 2002 working again with Sajay Leela Bhansali in DEVDAS. DEVDAS was the
most ambitious and most successful film in Bollywood history. It became the first Bollywood picture to
ever receive a special screening at the Cannes Film Festival and broke box-office records in India and the
United States. Daily Variety's Derek Elley describes DEVDAS as "...some of the most sumptuous
production values in Bollywood history..." Elley describes Ash as "almost Audrey Hepburn-like," Moulin
Rouge director Baz Luhrmann says "I loved her in DEVDAS" and Julia Roberts calls her "the world's most
beautiful woman."
2003 brought even more exciting opportunities. Ash became the first Indian actor to be a member of
the jury at the Cannes Film Festival. Ash is also the latest member of the elite L'Oreal Dream Team,
joining beauties Catherine Deneuve & Andie MacDowell as their international ambassador. She graced
the covers of India Today and the prestigious Time Magazine. Time has also listed her on their list of the
`100 Most Influential People in the World Today'. She has graced numerous covers in numerous
countries worldwide including the USA, UK, China, Russia, Israel, United Emirates, Germany, Italy, Spain
and France. Ash was also listed on Rolling Stone Magazine's annual `Hot List', Hello Magazine's `Most
Attractive Women in the World', Stuff Magazine, FHM magazine, V-Life from Variety Magazine, GQ
Magazine, New York Times Magazine, Harper's & Queen and countless others.
2004 saw Aishwarya take on the leading role in her first English language film in BRIDE & PREJUDICE for
Gurinder Chadha. She also became the first Indian female to be immortalized in wax at the world
famous Madame Tussaud's wax museum in London.
With over 17,000 websites dedicated to her, Ash finally launched her official website:
www.AishwaryaWorld.com
Aishwarya's career continues to grow even stronger-she will soon be seen in Ashutosh Gowariker's
JODHAA AKBAR and The Queen of Bollywood is already becoming the talk of Tinseltown and is currently
in negotiations on other major motion pictures.
Aishwarya's other film credits include Manit Ratnam's GURU; THE MISTRESS OF SPICES for director Paul
Berges, Jag Mundhra's PROVOKED, JP Dutta's UMRAO JAAN and Sanjay Gadhvi's DHOOM 2.
PETER MULLAN / Odacer
Mullan's first foray into film was Ken Loach's RIFF-RAFF, followed by BRAVEHEART and TRAINSPOTTING.
He won Best Actor Award at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival in Loach's MY NAME IS JOE.
Mullan's debut feature as both writer and director for the acclaimed film ORPHANS earned him four
awards at the 1998 Venice Film Festival. He later returned to directing and screenwriting with the
controversial film THE MAGDALENE SISTERS, where he received the Golden Lion Award at the 2002
Venice Film Festival.
More recently, Peter has appeared in Alfonso Cuarón's CHILDREN OF MEN; and Steve Hudson's TRUE
NORTH, which was nominated for the Best Film award at the BAFTA Scotland awards.
KEVIN McKIDD / Wulfilla
In 2005, Kevin McKidd was seen in the Ridley Scott feature KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, as the English
Sergeant, alongside Orlando Bloom and Eva Green.
McKidd currently stars in the BBC and HBO co-production ROME. He plays the lead role as Lucius
Vorenus in the epic drama series chronicling the rise of the ancient Roman Empire through the eyes of
two foot soldiers. In addition, Kevin has also starred in the BBC production ELIZABETH, THE VIRGIN
QUEEN, a four part historical drama directed by Coky Giedroyc and written by Paula Milne.
Kevin's debut film role was as the gentle Tommy in the hugely influential film TRAINSPOTTING, based on
the Irvine Welsh novel, and also starring Ewan McGregor, Johnny Lee Miller and Robert Carlyle. In the
same year he played the vicious gang leader Malky Johnson in Gillies McKinnon's critically acclaimed
SMALL FACES. Other film credits to date include: HIDEOUS KINKY and REGENERATION, both also
directed by Gillies McKinnon; DAD SAVAGE: SOFT TOUCH (Acid House Trilogy); BEDROOMS AND
HALLWAYS playing a lead role an the lovelorn, thirty-something Leo; TOPSY TURVY directed by Mike
Leigh; DOG SOLDIERS; MAX; NICHOLAS NICKLEBY; 16YRS OF ALCOHOL, for which he was nominated for
Best Actor at the British Independent Film Awards 2003; ONE LAST CHANCE; AFTERLIFE; and DE-LOVELY.
Kevin also appeared in the Dino De Laurentiis production HANNIBAL RISING earlier this year.
Kevin's upcoming film titles will see him in DYLAN, the biopic of Welsh writer Dylan Thomas, directed by
Mick Davis; and Paul Weiland's MADE OF HONOR starring Patrick Dempsey.
His television work is equally as vast, including GUNPOWDER, TREASON AND PLOT (Box TV), for which
he was awarded the Best Actor at Fipa D'or Biarritz Festival 2004, North Square (Company Pictures),
ANNA KARENINA (Channel 4), RICHARD II (BBC2) and the BBC Scotland productions THE KEY and
LOOKING AFTER JO JO.
On stage, Kevin was given the Gulliver Award in 1994 for his part in `The Silver Darlings' at the Citizen's
Theatre in Glasgow. He also went on to play Richmond in the Royal Shakespeare Company's version of
`Richard III', and had the title role in Almeida's West End production `Britannicus' at the Almeida, which
followed onto Broadway. It was for this role that he won the Ian Charleston Award in 1998. Other
productions include `Tis' Pity She's a Whore', where he played opposite Jude Law at the Young Vic, and
`Far Away' at the Royal Court, directed by Stephen Daldry.
JOHN HANNAH / Nestor
John Hannah attended the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, Scotland. Hannah's
role as Matthew in FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL was a huge success and he went on to star in a
succession of films including MUMMY I & II; SLIDING DOORS alongside Gwyneth Paltrow; the Academy
Award nominated THE HURRICANE with Denzel Washington; Marc Evan's RESURRECTION MAN; and THE
JAMES GANG. Having starred in numerous television and theatre productions, in 2004 Hannah produced
the popular television series REBUS through his production company Clerkenwell Films. Hannah's most
recent project has seen him in the lead role of Jack Roper in the highly successful TV Drama Series NEW
STREET LAW. His most recent feature film was GHOST SON starring alongside Pete Postlethwaite.
THOMAS SANGSTER / Romulus
Best known for his role as Sam in LOVE ACTUALLY, Thomas Sangster's acting career began with the
children's television drama STATION JIM. He also starred in STIG OF THE DUMP and FEATHER BOY, as
well as the television drama THE RISE OF THE DEVIL alongside Robert Carlyle. Sangster was recently seen
in NANNY MCPHEE, starring alongside Emma Thompson and Colin Firth, and TRISTAN AND ISOLDE
directed by Kevin Reynolds and starring Sophia Myles and James Franco. Sangster recently appeared in
the TV Series DOCTOR WHO, opposite David Tennant.
IAIN GLEN / Orestes
Iain Glen trained at Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts where he won the Bancroft medal. His extensive
work in theatre ranges from the title role in `Martin Guerre' to `Macbeth' at the Tron Theatre to `Henry
V' at the Royal Shakespeare Company as well as Sam Mendes' `The Blue Room' with Nicole Kidman. Glen
has recently played John Proctor in `The Crucible' at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford upon
Avon and in London's West End, to great critical acclaim.
On television Glen has starred in a number of drama series including CITY OF VICE, WIVES AND
DAUGHTERS, THE WYVERN MYSTERY and KIDNAPPED.
His feature film credits have earned him much acclaim-he won the Silver Bear Award at the Berlin Film
Festival for his leading role in David Hayman's SILENT SCREAM. Glen went on to star in many feature
films some of which include LARA CROFT TOMB RAIDER, RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPSE, Ridley Scott's
KINGDOM OF HEAVEN and TARA ROAD.
Later this year, Glen will star alongside Milla Jovovich in the third film in the RESIDENT EVIL series,
RESIDENT EVIL: EXTINCTION.
RUPERT FRIEND / Demetrius
Rupert Friend trained at the Webber Academy of Dramatic Art in London. During his third year he
landed the role of Billy Downs in THE LIBERTINE starring alongside Johnny Depp and John Malkovich. He
went on to play Mr. Wickham in the recently released film version of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE; THE MOON
AND THE STARS with Alfred Molina, Catherine McCormack and Jonathan Pryce; and starred opposite
Dame Joan Plowright in MRS. PALTREY AT THE CLAREMONT. Friend's forthcoming films are VIRGIN
TERRITORY starring Hayden Christensen and Tim Roth; THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS with David
Thewlis; and THE OTHER SIDE with Brittany Murphy and Jim Broadbent.
NONSO ANOZIE / Batiatus
Nonso Anozie trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama. His first foray into acting was with the
Royal Shakespeare Company where he played the leading role in `King Lear' and is the youngest person
in history to play the part. He then went on to perform at the National alongside Kenneth Brannagh in
`Edmund' taking the lead role and in `Othello' where he did a world tour winning the Magnolia Award
for Best Male Actor in China and the Ian Charleston Award for Best Young Actor for the same role. THE
LAST LEGION marks Anozie's feature film debut. Later this year, Anozie will be seen in Joe Wright's
ATONEMENT, and is providing the voice of Iorek Byrnison, the armoured bear, in THE GOLDEN
COMPASS, based on Philip Pullman's best-selling trilogy, His Dark Materials.
OWEN TEALE / Vatrenus
Owen Teale studied at the Guildford School of Acting. His first starring role was in a BBC television
drama about the Falklands War, THE MIMOSA BOYS. He then went on to appear in a number of
television programs including THE FIFTEEN STREETS, DEATH OF A SALESMAN, BALLYKISSANGEL,
MURDER IN ROME and the recently released MARIAN AGAIN. Teale performed at the Royal Shakespeare
Company for four years before starring in the Broadway production of `A Doll's House' where he
received the Tony Award for Best Featured Artist. His feature film credits include: WAR REQUIEM with
Lawrence Olivier, directed by Derek Jarman; ROBIN HOOD; THE HAWK; THE CHERRY ORCHARD; and
CONSPIRACY starring alongside Colin Firth and Kenneth Brannagh.
More recently, Teale appeared in the TV Movie TSUNAMI: THE AFTERMATH, starring Toni Collette,
Sophie Okonedo, Tim Roth & Chiwetel Ejiofor.
BEATA BEN AMMAR / Flavia
Beata Ben Ammar's feature film debut was earlier this year in Dino De Laurentiis' HANNIBAL RISING. THE
LAST LEGION marks her second film role.
JAMES COSMO / Hrothgar
Born in Scotland, James Cosmo's film career has spanned many years. Noted for his role of Campbell in
BRAVEHEART, Cosmo went on to feature in a many films, such as: TRAINSPOTTING; EMMA with
Gwyneth Paltrow; Shane Meadows' ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE MIDLANDS; FOUR FEATHERS; and TROY.
He was recently seen in THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE
playing Father Christmas, and alongside Demi Moore in HALFLIGHT.
Cosmo can next be seen later this year in THE DARK IS RISING, with Ian McShane and Christopher
Eccleston.
ALEXANDER SIDDIG / Theodorus Andronikus
Alexander Siddig trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. Having started his career
as a director helming various theatre productions, it was by chance that he auditioned for a role in Ralph
Fiennes first feature, A DANGEROUS MAN. Acting was to become his forte and he was soon busy
working on the hugely successful television series STAR TREK DEEP SPACE 9, which he starred in for over
seven years. His feature film credits include: THE NATIVITY STORY as Angel Gabriel; SYRIANA with
George Clooney and Matt Damon; Ridley Scott's KINGDOM OF HEAVEN; REIGN OF FIRE with Christian
Bale and Matthew McConaughey; and VERTICAL LIMIT.
###
THE LAST LEGION
About the Filmmakers
DOUG LEFLER / Director
Doug Lefler studied character animation at the California Institute of Arts for two years before being
chosen to work in the film animation division at Disney. While there he worked on THE FOX AND THE
HOUND, THE BLACK CAULDRON and THE LITTLE MERMAID. His film credits as a storyboard artist include
TOTAL RECALL, Wolfgang Petersen's SHATTERED, John Woo's HARD TARGET and the FRIDAY THE 13th
cult films.
His close working relationship with Sam Raimi began on ARMY OF DARKNESS. He then worked as second
unit director on SPIDERMAN and A SIMPLE PLAN. Lefler moved to directing television series full time
after that: HERCULES, XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS and AMERICAN GOTHIC. Lefler's other credits include
writing STEEL DAWN and directing DRAGONHEART 2.
RAFFAELLA DE LAURENTIIS / Producer
Raffaella De Laurentiis, daughter of legendary filmmaker Dino De Laurentiis and the highly acclaimed
Italian actress Silvana Mangano, grew up surrounded by the film business. Knowing early on that she
wanted to be a producer; her father hired her at fifteen as an assistant in props and set dressing on one
of his films. He knew that if she was serious about her career aspirations, she must understand the
function of each position on a film set. From there she rose rapidly, working on Luchino Visconti's
LUDWIG, a period tale of a mad Bavarian king that starred her mother, Helmet Berher and Romy
Schneider, as well as HURRICANE, her father's epic film that involved building massive sets and
accommodation in Tahiti. The intensive production experience led to her next film BEYOND THE REEF,
which marked her first credit as a producer.
In 1981, De Laurentiis produced the highly successful CONAN THE BARBARIAN, which launched the
acting career of Arnold Schwarzenegger and four years later, made the sequel, CONAN THE DESTROYER.
Other credits for the talented producer include David Lynch's DUNE, shot in Mexico City and TAI-PAN,
the first American film to be made in China. Following TAI-PAN, she spent about 18 months as head of
production at the De Laurentiis Entertainment Group. During that period, De Laurentiis supervised
numerous films for DEG such as WEEDS, CRIMES OF THE HEART, HIDING OUT, EARTH GIRLS ARE EASY
and BILL AND TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE.
Eager to get back to hands-on production work, De Laurentiis formed Raffaella Productions in 1987,
producing PRANCER, TIME BOMB and TRADING MOM with Sissy Spacek and Anna Chlumsky.
When she made DRAGON: THE BRUCE LEE STORY in 1993, it marked the beginning of her association
with director Rob Cohen. That led to their continued collaboration on DRAGONHEART with Dennis Quaid
and DAYLIGHT with Sylvester Stallone for which she served as executive producer. Among her other
executive producer credits are Ron Howard's BACKDRAFT and several movies for television, including
the action-packed VANISHING SON series.
In 1997, De Laurentiis produced KULL THE CONQUEROR, which marked the feature film debuts of
director John Nicolella and star Kevin Sorbo. Filmed in Slovakia and Croatia, this marked De Laurentiis'
second production in Eastern Europe. She then remained in the United States for her next two projects,
first THE GUARDIAN, a television pilot directed by Rob Cohen, on which she was executive producer,
followed by the action film, BLACK DOG, directed by Kevin Hooks and starring Patrick Swayze.
De Laurentiis returned to Slovakia in 1999, producing DRAGONHEART: A NEW BEGINNING, a direct to
video sequel to DRAGONHEART, directed by Doug Lefler and again in 2001 to executive producer the
NBC miniseries, UPRISING with John Avnet. UPRISING stars Leelee Sobieski, Hank Azaria, David
Schwimmer, Jon Voight, and Donald Sutherland.
Also in 2001, she returned to her love of family fare and executive produced PRANCER RETURNS, a
direct to video sequel to her holiday film, PRANCER, directed by Joshua Butler and starring John Corbett,
Stacy Edwards and Jack Palance.
Most recently, De Laurentiis continued her association with John Avnet on the visual effects laden
feature film, SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMMORROW, as executive producer. Helmed by first
time director Kerry Conran, this retro sci-fi adventure stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law and Angelina
Jolie.
MARTHA DE LAURENTIIS / Producer
After graduating from Ball State University, producer Martha De Laurentiis began her film career, which
spans over 30 years, in New York as an assistant auditor on the NBC miniseries, THE DAIN CURSE for
Martin Poll. Producer Frank Marshall recognized her talent and hired her as his assistant for
Paramount's WARRIORS and for the next three years she continued working in New York production.
Martha met Dino De Laurentiis in 1980 while working as his New York Production Accountant on
RAGTIME, directed by Milos Forman.
After the completion of RAGTIME, Martha became the head of administration for Dino De Laurentiis
Productions where she oversaw the financing of Stephen King's DEAD ZONE, AMITYVILLE II and
AMITYVILLE III. FIRESTARTER marked her arrival as associate producer, which led her to producing more
films including: Stephen King's CAT'S EYE and SILVER BULLET, DATE WITH AN ANGEL, BEDROOM
WINDOW, Stephen King's MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE and RAW DEAL with Arnold Schwarzenegger, along
with three CBS mini-series-Stephen King's SOMETIMES THEY COME BACK, SOLOMON AND SHEBA and
SLAVE OF DREAMS.
In 1983, Martha established her company, the Dino De Laurentiis Company (DDLC) and in 1984, together
with Dino, built the North Carolina Film Studios in Wilmington, NC of which she was president through
1988. In the five years as president, twenty-seven films were shot locally in Wilmington, establishing
North Carolina as the second leading filmmaking state in the country. In 1986, they expanded to the
Gold Coast in Australia building a studio complex which is currently the Warner Bros/Village Roadshow
Studios. In 2003, Martha and Dino began construction on a major film studio in Ouarzazate, Morocco,
which is now completed and operational, including vast back-lot and sets from Ridley Scott's KINGDOM
OF HEAVEN.
Together with Dino, DDLC has produced more than thirty films including: the Oscar-nominated CRIMES
OF THE HEART, David Lynch's BLUE VELVET, Michael Mann's MANHUNTER, Michael Cimino's YEAR OF
THE DRAGON and DESPERATE HOURS, BREAKDOWN starring Kurt Russell, the critically acclaimed
BOUND, U-571 starring Matthew McConaughey, HANNIBAL directed by Ridley Scott and RED DRAGON
starring Ed Norton and Anthony Hopkins.
Earlier this year saw the release of HANNIBAL RISING directed by Peter Webber (GIRL WITH A PEARL
EARRING) and starring Gong Li, Gaspard Ulliel and Rhys Ifans.
Martha has one other film ready to hit theatres: VIRGIN TERRITORY, directed by David Leland and
starring Hayden Christensen, Mischa Barton and Tim Roth.
Together with Dino, Martha is presently at work on an all-new filmic reinvention of BARBARELLA, to be
directed by Robert Rodriguez.
Martha is President of the West Coast Advisory Board for the Jason Foundation, whose mission is the
prevention of teenage suicide. She is currently serving on the boards of Ball State University Advisory
Board Alumni Association, The North Carolina School of the Arts Board of Visitors, The Los Angeles
Women's Leadership Council, the Harvard Kennedy School of Government Women's Leadership Board
and the international organisation, Save the Children.
TARAK BEN AMMAR / Producer
Tarak Ben Ammar was born in Tunisia to a prominent family. His father held several ministerial posts
and his uncle, Habib Bourguiba, was the first President of the Republic of Tunisia.
He is a graduate of Georgetown University with a major in International Relations.
His started his career in 1977 with a major achievement: putting Tunisia on the map of the
entertainment industry. Through a company he created, Carthago Films, and studios he built, he
convinced number of US producers to film parts of their projects in Tunisia and he participated in the
production of international movies, including major blockbusters such as George Lucas STAR WARS and
Spielberg's RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK.
Having learned filmmaking from such prestigious teachers, he went on to produce or co-produce
between 1980 and 1990 over 50 pictures, ranging from commercial French comedies (TAIS-TOI QUAND
TU PARLES, DEUX HEURES MOINS LE QUART AVANT JÉSUS CHRIST, etc...) to prestigious pictures such as
Zefirelli's LA TRAVIATA and Roman Polanski's PIRATES.
After this first part of his career as a film producer, Tarak Ben Ammar decided to devote more time as an
investor and a strategic adviser to major media players.
In 1990 he formed a company called Quinta Communications with Mr. Silvio Berlusconi, whom he met in
1983. Quinta Communications has been used as a vehicle for a number of investments and as a
production and distribution company. Quinta co-produced with Lux Vide such TV series as JESUS OF
NAZARETH and THE BIBLE. It also produced in 2002 FEMME FATALE, directed by Brian de Palma. The
company also engaged in trading of audiovisual rights, acquired from US producers and sold to
European Broadcasters.
In 1996 and 1997, Quinta managed and produced Michael Jackson's international "History" concert tour
and his multi-platinum album "Blood on the Dance Floor." More recently, Quinta established itself as a
distributor on the French market, where it released THE PASSION OF CHRIST.
He is continuing to produce large budget projects, such as VIRGIN TERRITORY, and the recent HANNIBAL
RISING in association with the Dino De Laurentiis Company.
At the same time Quinta diversified its activities by building up a portfolio of strategic investments in the
media services industry, including:
-In partnership with Lux Vide, studios in Hammamet, Tunisia.
-Full control of the N°2 French post production and photochemical lab (Dataciné)
-Majority stake in Duran Duboi specialized in digital post production and special effects.
-A 25% stake in Lux Vide, producer of high quality fiction.
-A 30% stake in a French game show production company.
In addition to these activities, Mr Ben Ammar established close working relationships with a selected
number of prominent international investors in the media industry.
In 1995, he advised Saudi Prince Al Waleed bin Talal in his investment in Mediaset, and became a board
member of Mr. Berlusconi's media conglomerate, after its successful public offering. He continued
advising Prince Al Waleed in two other investments in News Corp and KirchGruppe.
He also advised Mr. Murdoch in his European investments, including the German pay TV channel
Premiere. He orchestrated the acquisition of the Italian digital platform Stream from Telecom Italia and,
two years later the acquisition of Telepiu from Vivendi Universal.
Acting as an investor, in partnership with French TV Group TF1, he acquired two terrestrial frequencies
which News Corp. was, by law, required to divest from. Together with TF1 subsidiary Eurosport, he plans
to launch a sports channel covering 83% of the Italian territory.
In his first foray outside the media industry, Mr. Ben Ammar recently helped Mr. Bolloré in protecting
his investment in Mediobanca and Generali against a challenge by Italian investors (mostly banks). This
successful negotiation earned him an appointment to the board of Mediobanca making him both the
first individual from the Film and TV industry and the first non-westerner holding this position.
Mr. Ben Ammar was awarded the "Legion d'Honneur" in 1984 by President François Mitterand for his
cultural contributions. He has four children and resides in Paris.
DINO DE LAURENTIIS / Producer
As a producer and presenter of motion pictures, the career of Dino De Laurentiis spans over 65 years.
Dino's remarkable contribution to cinema, both in Europe and in the United States, is unprecedented.
He helped transform the very image of Italy and its people immediately following WWII through
pioneering filmmaking collaborations with such directors as Federico Fellini, Roberto Rossellini, Vittorio
De Sica, Michelangelo Antonioni, and others.
Following the war, the people and art of Italy, Germany and Japan were largely isolated from the rest of
the world for obvious reasons. Their film industries, which prior to the war had thrived, were at a
standstill, with morale low and funding tight at best. Dino, realizing that films genuinely serve as
"ambassadors to the world," virtually invented the concept of foreign pre-sales and the practice of
selling of rights territory-by-territory to finance his pictures. (Pre-sales are now an established method
for independent filmmakers to finance their films and make their dreams realities). Subsequently the
studios started sharing risks by partnering with each other and splitting the rights to their movies.
Dino was able to reach across European borders, creating the concept of cultural co-productions and
forming production partnerships with countries that only a year or so before had been at war with his
own.
These films energized Italy's movie industry, heightened national pride, and opened the door to new
relations with the rest of the world. Fellini's LA STRADA and NIGHTS OF CABIRIA, both produced by Dino,
won Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film. LA STRADA, in fact, won the very first Oscar for
Best Foreign Language Film in 1956. The next year, Dino's film THE GREAT WAR, directed by Mario
Monicelli, was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film and went on to win the Golden Lion at the
Venice Film Festival. Shortly thereafter, the Italian government awarded Dino the prestigious Cavalieri
Del Lavoro for his contribution to launching Italian cinema worldwide. To this day, he is the only
producer to hold this highest of civilian honors.
Dino's films continued to expand in importance and scope. In the sixties, he attracted to his Rome-based
studio, Dino Citta', major stars such as Audrey Hepburn, Henry Fonda, Ava Gardner, Elizabeth Taylor,
Jane Fonda, Bette Davis, Robert Mitchum, Richard Harris, George C. Scott, Peter O'Toole, Orson Welles,
Anthony Quinn, Van Heflin, Kirk Douglas and many others, and such major US directors as John Huston
(THE BIBLE), King Vidor (the epic WAR AND PEACE), Roger Vadim (BARBARELLA), Edward Dmytryk
(ANZIO) and Martin Ritt (FIVE BRANDED WOMEN). As an independent filmmaker, Dino gambled on
moving his enterprises to the US where he wasted no time in expanding even further his considerable
contributions to the world of global cinema. Important, powerful films followed such as: THE VALACHI
PAPERS, SERPICO, THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR, THE SHOOTIST, THE SERPENT'S EGG, BUFFALO BILL,
KING KONG, RAGTIME, CONAN, DEAD ZONE, DUNE, THE BOUNTY, YEAR OF THE DRAGON, MANHUNTER,
BLUE VELVET, CRIMES OF THE HEART, BEDROOM WINDOW, BOUND, BREAKDOWN, U-571 and
HANNIBAL. His last project was the SILENCE OF THE LAMBS prequel RED DRAGON, directed by Brett
Ratner and starring Anthony Hopkins, Edward Norton, Ralph Fiennes, Harvey Keitel, Emily Watson and
Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Earlier this year saw the release of HANNIBAL RISING directed by Peter Webber (GIRL WITH A PEARL
EARRING) and starring Gong Li, Gaspard Ulliel and Rhys Ifans. De Laurentiis has one other film ready to
hit theatres: VIRGIN TERRITORY, directed by David Leland and starring Hayden Christensen, Mischa
Barton and Tim Roth.
Dino, who produced the classic 1968 BARBARELLA movie starring Jane Fonda, is presently at work on an
all-new film based on the character, to be directed by Robert Rodriquez.
Dino has launched the careers of many young talented directors. As a risk-taker, an innovator and a
tremendously energetic and creative independent producer, he has always insisted on providing
opportunities to directors, emphasizing their creative freedom while offering the great production
values of a major studio. The directors he has worked with include: Sydney Pollack, Sidney Lumet, Milos
Forman, Bruce Beresford, Michael Cimino, David Lynch, Luchino Visconti, Ingmar Bergman, Robert
Altman, Terrence Young, John Milius, David Cronenberg, William Friedkin, Michael Crighton, Frank
Pierson, Don Siegel, Roger Donaldson, Curtis Hanson, Michael Mann, Peter Bogdonovich, Ridley Scott,
and young directors John Dahl, Larry and Andy Wachowski, Jonathan Mostow and Brett Ratner.
In total, Dino has produced, presented, financed or distributed more than 600 films. As a pioneer in
building studios around the world, he has built four major facilities: Dino Citta' in Rome, North Carolina
Film Studios which is now Screen Gems Studio in North Carolina, Village Roadshow Studios in Australia
and the De Laurentiis studio in Ouarzazate, Morocco. He has been responsible for films that have been
commercial as well as critical successes. All told, his productions have earned 4 Academy Awards, 30
Academy Award nominations, and have been recognized with close to 100 different awards worldwide,
including the Palme d'Or for Best Film and 3 Golden Lions for Best Film at the Venice Film Festival. At the
Oscars ceremony in 2001, Dino was awarded the prestigious Irving G. Thalberg Award.
Dino's philosophy is and always has been that the best movies are made by supporting and championing
the director to the fullest possible extent. He believes that discovering and nurturing new talent, from
directors to writers to actors, is one of a producer's most important contributions. His passion about the
projects he becomes involved with, as well as the entire creative filmmaking process, has made him one
of the most prolific producers of all time. Above all, he is a passionate filmmaker, never giving up on his
vision for making movies the world wants to see. He is, without a doubt, one of the film industry's most
influential independent producers-a legend!
CHRIS CURLING / Co-Producer
Chris Curling is a prominent and respected independent producer based in London with excellent
connections in every sector of the business, both in the UK and the rest of Europe.
In 1990 he founded his own company, Zephyr Films, which specializes in international co-productions of
British qualifying films. Over the last three years he has produced more than ten films.
Chris recently finished work on David Leland's VIRGIN TERRITORY, starring Hayden Christensen, Mischa
Barton and Tim Roth, a co-production with Dino and Martha De Laurentiis and Tarak Ben Ammar.
He also completed HANNIBAL RISING the third of his trio of films with Dino and Martha De Laurentiis
and Tarak Ben Ammar. Written by Thomas Harris, HANNIBAL RISING is directed by Peter Webber and
stars Gaspard Ulliel, Gong Li and Rhys Ifans.
Chris' first film of 2006 will be PENELOPE, to be directed by Mark Palansky. A co-production with Scott
Steindorff's Stone Village Pictures and Reese Witherspoon's Type A Films, the film will star Christina Ricci
and Reese Witherspoon.
Following that will be Gillian Armstrong's Houdini film DEATH DEFYING ACTS, which he is producing with
Chris Curling is a prominent and respected independent producer based in London with excellent
connections in every sector of the business, both in the UK and the rest of Europe.
In 1990 he founded his own company, Zephyr Films, which specializes in international co-productions of
British qualifying films. Over the last three years he has produced more than ten films.
Chris recently finished work on David Leland's VIRGIN TERRITORY, starring Hayden Christensen, Mischa
Barton and Tim Roth, a co-production with Dino and Martha De Laurentiis and Tarak Ben Ammar.
He also completed HANNIBAL RISING, the third of his trio of films with Dino and Martha De Laurentiis
and Tarak Ben Ammar, released internationally in early 2007. Written by Thomas Harris, HANNIBAL
RISING was directed by Peter Webber and stars Gaspard Ulliel, Gong Li and Rhys Ifans.
Chris' first film of 2006 was PENELOPE, directed by Mark Palansky. A co-production with Scott
Steindorff's Stone Village Pictures and Reese Witherspoon's Type A Films, the film stars Christina Ricci
and Reese Witherspoon.
Following that was Gillian Armstrong's Houdini film DEATH DEFYING ACTS, which he produced with
Marian Macgowan. Kirk D'Amico, Dan Lupovitz and Marcis Nassatir are executive producers.
In 2005 Chris executive produced David Mackenzie's new film ASYLUM, starring Ian McKellen, Natasha
Richardson and Marton Csokas. The film was in competition at the Berlin Film Festival. He was also a
producer on Mike Binder's film THE UPSIDE OF ANGER starring Kevin Costner and Joan Allen.
He co-produced Richard E. Grant's first film, the coming of age comedy WAH-WAH, starring Gabriel
Byrne, Emily Watson, Julie Walters, Miranda Richardson and Nicholas Hoult as the adolescent boy
growing up in colonial Africa. The film opened the Edinburgh Film Festival before showing in Toronto.
Chris is a member of the European Producer's Club and ACE. He also serves on PACT's film committee
and BSAC's Co-Production working group.
PHILIP ROBERTSON / Co-Producer
Phil Robertson is a director of Zephyr Films, a London-based independent production company, which
he has run in partnership with fellow producer Chris Curling since 1995. He has a successful track record
in the production of feature films for the international market, specialising in British qualifying coproductions.
Phil recently produced VIRGIN TERRITORY, which is written and directed by David Leland; HANNIBAL
RISING, directed by Peter Webber and starring Gong Li and Gaspard Ulliel; and Gillian Armstrong's
Houdini film DEATH DEFYING ACTS for Myriad Pictures.
Also in pre-production at Zephyr Films is SHAMROCK BOY starring Thora Birch.
MARCO PONTECORVO / Director of Photography
Marco Pontecorvo, son of Italian director Gillo Pontecorvo, has worked as cinematographer on many
successful documentaries, commercials and short films, winning the prestigious Golden Globe Award for
his work on Francesco Rosi's short film, THE TRUCE, starring John Turturro. Pontecorvo's most recent
feature film credits include the popular television series ROME, Richard Loncraine's FIREWALL, MY
HOUSE IN UMBRIA, EROS directed by Michelangelo Antonioni and VOCI directed by Franco Giraldi. He
also served as second unit director on Martin Scorsese's GANGS OF NEW YORK.
PAOLO SCALABRINO / Costume Designer
Having worked as costume supervisor on acclaimed films such as GANGS OF NEW YORK, TROY and
SEVEN YEARS IN TIBET, Scalabrino's natural talent soon led him to designing for television films. His most
recent credits are SAN PIETRO starring Omar Shariff, THE APOCALYPSE with Richard Harris and
IMPERIUM: NERONE: IMPERIUM: AUGUSTUS. THE LAST LEGION marks Scalabrino's debut as costume
designer on a feature film.