POMPEII is currently filming in Italy and Deadline is reporting that the 3-D action-adventure movie has added one more person to its cast. Jared Harris has agreed to appear in the film as a rich merchant named Lucretius. His daughter Flavia (played by Emily Browning) is put in harms way when Mount Vesuvius erupts and it’s up to slave-turned-gladiator Milo (Kit Harington) to save her.
I’m a huge Jared Harris fan (ever since HAPPINESS) but I have some reservations about POMPEII. The project sounds bigger in scope than previous movies from director Paul W.S. Anderson and it concerns me that the film will end up looking a little cheap. I’m not sure how much the budget is for the movie but if you’re doing a period piece with a giant mountain blowing up you better have a decent amount of cash to back it up. That’s not to say every movie depends on having a huge budget but without that extra dough the film is at risk of looking like a made for television movie.
The erruption of Mount Vesuvius is a major event in history that is perfect for the big screen. Lets hope Paul W.S. Anderson and company treat the catastrophe with the appreciation it deserves.