.Douglas says: "There was always the problem of the lions. Producers couldn't figure out how to film around such unpredictable creatures.

"We used five lions with various performing skills. One could appear particularly ferocious on command. Another could climb trees and a third would sit still for closeups.

"Bongo and Caesar, the two Canada lions, were raised together from infancy and actually work as a pair. Bong is Ghost and Caesar is Darkness."

Douglas admits his special effects people also used some computer imaging and a mechanical lion for a few of the most difficult shots.

Though he was planning simply to produce the movie, Douglas eventually cast himself in a supporting role of Remington, an American big game hunter who was hired to kill the lions.

Remington brought 30 Samburu warriors to help him track and destroy the lions. Douglas had to find himself 30 of his own Samburu warriors.

"To be a warrior, a Samburu had to have killed either a man or a lion. They're pretty awesome people.

"Our Samburus had never been on an airplane before we flew them from Kenya to the game reserve in South Africa where we were filming. I wanted an authentic relationship with these men so I had them stay near my house."

Douglas used his new-found friends to play a joke on his younger brother Joel.

"The day Joel arrived from L.A., I told him I was throwing a small barbecue for the cast. He was sitting out in the yard when my 30 warriors came out of the jungle. Joel was terrified. I hope they have a similar effect on our audiences."


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