NEWS
28 October 2006
Thailand Welcome's Rambo
Thailand's new military rulers apparently will not get in the way of the millions of dollars the country stands to make as the backdrop for new films starring Sylvester Stallone, Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe.
Stallone will spend several weeks in Thailand early next year, shooting "Rambo IV: In the Serpent's Eye" in the country's lush, mountainous northern provinces, said Wanasiri Morakul, director of the Thailand Film Office.
About 70 to 80 percent of the movie, which Stallone will produce, direct and star in, will be shot in Thailand _ earning the country about $5 million, Wanasiri told The Associated Press by telephone Thursday.
She said that after a committee read the "Rambo" script, they gave the green light for the shoot in Thailand, but were concerned that violence in the movie could reflect badly on ethnic minorities in the area where filming takes place.
She also wanted the filmmakers to assure villagers and environmentalists that any bombing scenes _ "in that Rambo style" _ would not harm the environment.
Principal photography of "Rambo IV: In the Serpent's Eyes" will commence in January in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. Stallone returns to play a Vietnam War veteran who's coaxed out of retirement in Thailand for a rescue mission in Burma. Shooting is expected to last at least two months
"Rambo IV" expects to spend around 200 million baht ($5.5 million) in Thailand
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