Action-movie star and martial arts master Steven Seagal is expected in Romania at the end of this month, to prepare for the main part he is going to play in the "Toyman" production, according to cineplus.ro, a Romanian film website.

The shooting of the new movie is set to start at the beginning of August in the Castel Film Studios, which will also host Elizabeth Hurley and Jeremy Sisto starting with July 28, who will work together for the principal photography on "Method", directed by Duncan Roy.

Among the famous stars who worked in the Romanian studios in the past three years were Pink, Andy Garcia, Armand Assante, Rutger Hauer, Nicole Kidman, Renee Zellweger and Jude Law.

Steven Segal, 54 is one of the most popular action movies heroes, most appreciated for his skills in Aikido, Karate, Judo and Kendo. The former bodyguard who studied Zen in Japan was the first American to have opened a martial arts school in the Asian country.
From "Above the Law' (1988), "Under Siege" (directed by Andrew Davis), "The Patriot" (1999) and "Exit Wound" (2001), to the recently completed "Submerged" and "Today You Die" (2005), Segal became more admired for his attitude. "Trust your doubt. Always fight for your beliefs. That is the path beyond thought", Steven Seagal thinks.

Edward Furlong, the kid from "Terminator 2" and "American History X" has also visted Romania in May. Furlong plays the main part in the "Kiss of The Sun", directed by John Hill, which is shot in Bucharest and Miami, according to an official release from Green Valley Entertainment.

Apparently, Seagal and Furlong, but also Hurly and Sisto are about do discover Romania's beauty, like their colleagues Jean Claude Van Damme and Wesley Snipes have already done this year.


"The Muscles from Brussels" has to deal with a seven-weeks-shooting for "Second in Command", a typical action movie, the same as "Timecop", "Maximum Risk" or "Replicant".

The movie is directed by Simon Fellows, who has just finished his latest movie also shot in Romania, "7 seconds" starring Wesley Snipes. Wesley came back to Romania in October 2004 and wanted to live in a 19th century villa until December, when he finished working for "Painter", where he played the part of soldier.

Rumors say that Van Damme has been spending most of nights out in the clubs of the Romanian capital in the company of several beautiful women - most of them blonde - who have offered him a bit(e) of the traditional eastern hospitality.

Some bartenders in Bucharest have already got used to the presence of the Belgian actor, who has already had some violent talks with intrusive journalists, as he hates being photographed without wearing make-up.

Apparently van Damme has asked the production team to cast shorter and thinner actors in the movie, as he already has to climb some boxes to look a little bit taller. His Romanian adventure will get him to focus on his next project "Asterix at the Olympic Games", which might be shot in Morocco, starting with May 2006. Famous French actor Alain Delon will be the one to impersonate Julius Cesar in the movie.