A major new Hollywood film about a lost Roman legion has been searching for talent in the Scottish Highlands.
Centurion is the story of the legendary Ninth Legion of the Roman army which was sent north to conquer the Scots and never seen again.
The film’s producers held open auditions in Aviemore to find 40 extras, all fit, burley men who looked the part of a warrior and who fell into a specific age, height and size range in order to fit the body armour.
The film is being produced by Christian Colson, recent Oscar winner for his last movie Slumdog Millionaire, and will star 007’s Quantum of Solace sidekick Olga Kurylenko.
Despite the burley specification of the casting call, the five thirty show’s Chris Harvey visited the auditions in search of a role.
The aspiring extra maintained he was well fitted for the role: “I’m ideally suited for the role of course, as I’ve been roaming all over for the five thirty show - and I can speak Latin.”
One hopeful soldier was motivated by the possibility of being on the big screen.
“I’ve done some extra stuff before, so I thought I’d get my chance to maybe be involved in a film,” he said. “It’s a day off from work.”
Centurion is just the latest in a long line of films to be shot on location in Scotland. Whether it’s the Hogwarts Express of Harry Potter or William Wallace’s village in Braveheart, Scotland’s landscapes and historical structures make it the perfect location to shoot.
