The Academy Award winner Julia Roberts, will begin filming in Bali this month for the film adaptation of the best-selling book “Eat, Pray, Love.” by Elizabeth Gilbert. Julia Roberts will play the role of Gilbert, while Jenkins appears as a Texan spiritual seeker Robert's character meets in an Indian ashram. “Eat, Pray, Love” is the best-selling memoir by Elizabeth Gilbert. It tells her story of overcoming a deep depression after a painful divorce during a journey of soul-searching and self-discovery. In her search for peace, she spends a year traveling in Italy, India and Indonesia. While in Bali, the author learns how to balance earthly delights with spirituality and discovers the meaning of love. The book has been the subject of much controversy in Bali because of passages about a Balinese medicine man the author met in Ubud.
The Bali provincial government had issued the permits needed to shoot the film, with Roberts being scheduled to appear on set from Oct. 16 to Nov. 6. “We have issued the permit to shoot in Gianyar. Their preparation is complete,” said Ida Bagus Puruvita, the Gianyar cultural office’s chief of permits and films. The government would supervise the shoot to ensure the crew did not take any unnecessary pictures related to local traditions or religion. He hoped the movie would promote Bali to the world. “Why impede it? After all, it will also promote (tourism) in Bali,” he said.
This is great news for Bali fans and Julia Roberts fans around the globe. The screenplay will be written by American television writer Ryan Murphy, and produced by Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment production company.
One third of the story takes place in Bali where the main character finds love, healing and the mentoring of an aging Balinese guru in Ubud. One of the first-ever Hollywood feature films to be shot in Bali, filming is set to commence in October 16 to November 6, 2009.
Movie locations mostly in Ubud, Gianyar, Bali are fantastic. The shoot is planned to take place at the traditional markets and Monkey Forest in Ubud, along with the nearby villages of Demayu and Tegalalang, and in Badung, Uluwatu and Nusa Dua.
Reported by local newspaper earlier that there were some misunderstandings with local villagers. "The crew came in 20 trucks... ahead than their planned scheduled shooting on November 10, so the villagers were offended and blocked the roads," district chief Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardana Sukawati, who is also the top royal of Puri Saren in Ubud, quoted as saying by AFP. Tjokorda Sukawati said that when the crew arrived in Bali island's Bentuyung village a month ahead of schedule, locals blocked roads and demanded 32,000 dollars. "They asked those amount to use the location for filming. I was embarrassed and told them this was unacceptable." He said the problem had since been resolved and the crew allowed through, but added he would like to make it up to Roberts by inviting her to lunch at Tjokorda's palace.
Let's come to Bali and book your Bali villa in Ubud to meet and greet Julia Roberts? Take your friends and family and don't forget to bring your digital camera. We can take photo with Julia Roberts. Those pictures will be awesome..
