Children's classic may be filmed in Canterbury

1.00pm

Up to 1000 people are expected to converge on Flock Hill Station near Arthurs Pass this spring to film the climactic battle scene from C S Lewis' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Although the production company denies Flock Hill is a site, Canterbury contractors, Selwyn District Council staff, and people who own accommodation in the area were convinced they were working hand-in-hand with people in the movie business.

Andrew Adamson, the director of Shrek and Shrek 2, will direct the multimillion-dollar film, the first instalment of the planned Chronicles of Narnia series based on the classic children's books.

According to locals, the spectacular scene for the battle between Peter's army and the White Witch, is a series of plateaus that rise up from Broken River, not far from Cave Stream Scenic Reserve.

Today, there was an enormous amount of activity in the area with up to 20 workers involved in widening a road through the property and turf cutting at a location described as "base camp".

Garry and Heather Temperton who run Flock Hill Lodge said they were accommodating people involved with the film, including someone described as the base camp operations manager.

Mr Temperton said he was reluctant to comment in detail because he respected the companies' wishes to keep a low profile.

"I think there are issues involving safety. They just don't want people traipsing around the site. I guess there are also some security issues... they don't want the whole industry to know what they are up to."

He said work around the film had been under way in the area for about a month and he was delighted that the company was bringing money into the area.

Flock Hill had been used as a location for the BBC production The Lost World in 2001 and that had been a positive experience.

Economic development officer with Selwyn District Council Ann Jarman said the council was encouraging the production company to use local businesses and support services and contractors from Springfield were among those already employed.

She had also been advised that between 400 and 800 people would require accommodation during filming in October-November.

Publicist for Lamp Post productions, Ernie Malik, denied Flock Hill was a location.

"The official word from the company is it is not being used as a location at this time," he said.

However, he said there would be filming in the South Island in the spring.

The film, officially titled The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is due for release in December 2005.

- NZPA