The list of stars jetting out to Romania on work assignments continues to grow with Elizabeth Hurley currently in Bucharest for the making of her latest film The Method. The model-actress follows in the footsteps of Nicole Kidman and Jude Law – who were in the beautiful eastern European country earlier in the year with Cold Mountain – and Andy Garcia, who worked on his film about the life of Modigliani there.
Liz has been in Romania since early August lensing her leading role as an actress who, after landing the part of a 19th-century serial killer, begins to taking on some of the killer's characteristics in real life. Most of the film has been shot in the studios of Romania's biggest production company, Castel Films, at the lakeside resort of Snagov, north of Bucharest.
A diverse land of mountains and rich agricultural plains bordered along its southern frontier by the River Danube, Romania is made up of three main regions – Transylvania, Moldavia and Wallachia. Its Carpathian Mountain range is a popular destination for hikers and climbers, while its Black Sea coastline and wildlife filled river delta – the islands of which have become a staging post for thousands of migrating birds – offer less strenuous getaways.
Unspoilt scenery and low costs are key factors behind the country's recent leap in popularity among those in the film industry. "Romania is 25-30 per cent cheaper than Prague," says Castel Film Studios president Vlad Paunescu. "However, for a movie like Cold Mountain, the price was secondary - it was the scenery they liked. Many parts of Romania are still wild and natural. Transylvania looks like the US 150 years ago."
The latest talent to shoot in the beautiful Eastern European country is Liz Hurley, who's currently shooting The Method there
The country is made up of three key regions Transylvania (above), Moldavia and Wallachia
