Harry here with this latest bit from a NZ newspaper about the participation of the New Zealand army. So for some of you wanting to be an extra in this movie. Perhaps flying to New Zealand and joining their army would be a start. (Giggle) I'm... ummm.. kidding. No... don't go!
this is from the "official" Peter Jackson Fan Club "The Bastards have landed"
NZ soldiers may be Lord of the ring-ins
by Simon Beattie, Evening Post 9 January 1999
The New Zealand Army could be going into battle camouflaged as orcs. Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson is seeking about 15,000 extras for his three films, especially for the battle scenes. In an interview published on the Internet he said the Army could be approached. Jackson said the battle scenes would be the largest that people had ever seen on screen." We will find our extra's in the new year," he said. "They will be cast in new zealand and will have to be precise physical types depending if it's for orc's, elves, men,etc. It is possible that weapproach the army for most of our extra's."
One shooting location rumoured to have been chosen is around Mt Ruapehu - near the Army's Waiouru base.
Jackson and the Lord of the Rings producer Tim sanders, now casting the main characters, were unavailable for comment. However, a spokeswoman for Wingnut Films - Jacksons production company - confirmed the army was an option being looked at.
"the army is something they've considered but they haven't made any decisions on that yet," she said.
Army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel James Thomson said no approach had been made but it had provided extra's for TV and films before, including Chunuk Bair.
"It would have to be a quid pro quo type arrangement," he said."There would have to be some value in it for the army - for New Zealand. We certainly are not going to throw around taxpayers' dollars at supplementing a film.
"I will be interested to see if he[Jackson}does ask and the rationale he uses that we should help him out."
Frodo, Germany
