BRUCE BERESFORD - CROWE 'TOO OLD' FOR VIETNAM MOVIE

CROWE 'TOO OLD' FOR VIETNAM MOVIE

Australian director BRUCE BERESFORD has turned down RUSSELL CROWE for his new film - declaring the actor is far too old. LONG TAN tells the story of how 108 American and Australian soldiers fought off 2, 500 Viet Cong troops in Vietnam - but it will not feature the 42-year-old GLADIATOR star. The acclaimed director says, "The problem with war movies characteristically is that all the guys playing the soldiers are too old. "I certainly would rather cast people who are the right age for the parts - that was a battle fought by very young guys." The director did concede though that A List names are vital for a big film to get made, saying, "If you don't have names, it is almost impossible (to get a film made).