Casting director Liz Mullane says that the film will call for about 200 extras. NZ casting call is just days away.

An advertisement was run in New Zealand’s the Dominion Post this weekend calling for very tall and very small men and women to audition.

In an interview Tuesday on New Zealand’s Newstalk ZB, producer Mark Johnson talked for about 10 minutes about the film and made several very interesting comments. EDIT: We’ve added the interview transcript.

A one-and-a-half minute New Zealand TV spot with shots of the crew and a welcoming ceremony known as Powhiri.

Andrew Adamson and his crew of 40 were welcomed onto Hoani Waititi marae in West Auckland Tuesday morning.

NarniaWeb has confirmed that Weta Workshops is working on the film but that Weta Digital is not involved. This dovetails nicely with the confirmation that Rhythm & Hues has been awarded the digital effects on the film.

Rhythm & Hues has landed the role as lead special effects studio on Walt Disney Studios and Walden Media fantasy epic The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which Disney will distribute late next year.

Walden Spokeswoman Alison Lehrer has said that filming will begin this year in New Zealand and the Czech Republic. Walden also denies reports of Kidman’s involvement.

Filmmakers will be based at the Waitakere City Council-owned Henderson Valley Studios and most of the film shooting will be done in the Auckland region from July.

IMDB has published a clarification of their March 8th news article regarding Nicole Kidman. Production sources have said that she was only one of the actresses under consideration. She has not yet signed on for the role.