WEST AUCKLAND, New Zealand, Oct. 29 (UPI) -- Another version of "Hercules" is being filmed in New Zealand, this one a mini-series described as a serious look at the hero's passage to adulthood.
Scottish newcomer Paul Telfer plays Hercules backed up by veterans Elizabeth Perkins and Timothy Dalton as his parents.
Sean Astin, who played Frodo's loyal friend in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy also filmed in New Zealand, plays Hercules' loyal friend.
"The sidekick business has been very good," Astin told the New Zealand Herald. "It's not hard work. The character of Linus in mythology is nowhere near as special as the character of Samwise Gamgee, but in this adaptation of Hercules, they've embellished the mythological references to Linus."
Like the 1990s TV show, "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys," this one is being filmed on a set in West Auckland.
