By Darius Kadivar

After Richard Burton who first portrayed Alexander the Great in Robert Rossens 1956 Epic,

A number of film projects and a TV series are currently being developed in Hollywood Studios involving prestigious names like Leonardo Di Caprio, Nicole Kidman or Mel Gibson. Leonardo Di Caprio will be cast as the Macedonian Conqueror along with Nicole Kidman as his mother Olympias "Alexander the Great" is to be directed by Baz Luhrman ( "Moulin Rouge", "Romeo + Juliette" ) and released in 2004 with Leonardo Di Caprio ( "Titanic", "Gangs of New York" ). The film is expected to become the second-largest production of all-time, with 5,000 extras and a 150 million-dollar budget, including 50 million dollars for shooting in Morocco. Jobs are to be created at the beginning of the studio construction works in February 2003. Other projects on Alexander seem to inspire Hollywood directors. Martin Scorcses who initially was to direct the film, will become co-producer of the mega budget film.

Leo will star as Alexander directed by Baz Luhrman

On the other hand Oliver Stone ( "Platoon", "Wall Street") has been battling for the past five years on a film on the Macedonian conqueror and wants to cast Irish actor Collin Farrell ( most probably) , Heath Ledger, and Matthew McConaughey in what appears as a competition for the title role .

Mel Gibson will be starring as the Macedonian hero in "Fire from Heaven" a mini-series

Italian film Dino De Laurentis, also wants to produce an Alexander film to be directed by Ridley Scott (Gladiator), has a very different casting approach. "I would like to have big stars in the secondary roles," he says, "but I would get an unknown for the part of Alexander - a unique human being." The film project on the epileptic "Macedonian hero" whose body, unlike that of his father Phillipe II has never been discovered to this date , and is said to have died at the age of 33 back from his conquest of Babylon " seems to be still held in suspension. As for Mel Gibson is producing and Directing a $200 million, 10-hour mini-series on Alexander the Great entitled "Fire From Heaven" which is scheduled to start shooting in September in Morocco, Italy and Thailand. Gibson believes his 10-hour mini-series will have the edge over his feature-film rivals. "It's such a huge story," he says. "You just can't tell the story of Alexander the Great in a couple of hours."

George Clooney, and Bruce Willis compete for the leading role of Leonidas the Spartan, and rumours claim Banderas will portray Persian King of Kings Xerxes in the upcoming screen adaptation of Pressfields novel "Gates of Fire" to be directed by Michael Mann.

"The Gates of Fire" a remake of the "300 Spartans" is based on the novel of Steven Pressfield the true story of 300 Spartans who, along with about 7,000 allied Greeks, held back an army of over 2 million Persians (you read that right) for several days in 480 B.C. at the Battle of Thermopylae. Though they lost the battle, they held back the Persians long enough for the Greek states to rally together. The key to success were the "Gates of Fire", a narrow pass in the mountaintops where the Spartans positioned themselves, acting like a valve, keeping the Persians from passing, even as their own dead served as shields. Produced by Maysville Pictures and Forward Pass and distributed by Universal directed by Michael Mann ( "Heat", "Ali" ) with George Clooney ( "Ocean Eleven", "Solaris" ) as Producer and actor, Bruce Willis ( "Die Hard", "Armageddon") is said to be interested in playing the title role. Rumours claim that Spanish actor Anthonio Banderas will cast the role of King Xerxes , however no production date has been announced yet.

Author’s Notes: Alexander's tomb is still missing, and subject to numerous speculations. His father's tomb Phillip II however was discovered in 1977.

The Italian Job
is the sequel as good as the original?

You will soon be making your way to the theatres across the land to see a remake of The Italian Job. Will it be as good as the original? Sequels seldom are, especially when the lead actor is trying to fill the shoes of Michael Caine who played in the Original.

"The Italian Job" was a classic Michael Caine comedy caper, telling the story of a Gold Bullion raid by cockney criminals in Italy. The film was written by Troy Kennedy Martin, who later created the hard-hitting British TV Police TV series "The Sweeney".
Michael Caine played Charlie Croker, a recently-released dodgy geezer who inherits a master plan for a caper from Roger Beckerman, a recently-deceased Italian criminal mastermind who met an untimely end at the hands of the Mafia whilst out driving his Lamborghini Miura through the Alps. We will not tell you the rest now, go see the sequel and decide for yourself.