True-life film pits Abraham opposite Weisz

Mumbai: Bollywood actor John Abraham will star opposite Hollywood star Rachel Weisz in a new film inspired by the true story of an American environmentalist's fight to save trees, a report said yesterday.

Luna will be directed by Deepa Mehta, the award-winning director of Indian origin whose last film, Water, about Hindu widows, was short-listed for an Oscar in the best foreign film category this year.

"John, who plays an environmentalist in Luna, is not an Indian nor an American in the film," Mehta, who lives in Canada, was quoted as saying by The Times of India newspaper. "His cultural origins aren't specified."

Most Bollywood actors in Hollywood films have played roles of Indians. But Abraham will be the first lead character whose cultural origin is not specified in the story.

Abraham had starred in Mehta's Water as well.

Two-time Oscar winner David Ward will write the script of Luna, which has been inspired by the life of Julia Hill, an American environmentalist who lived in a 1,000-year-old redwood tree for 738 days to prevent loggers from cutting it down.

Hill, to be portrayed by Constant Gardner star Weisz, eventually forced the lumber company to not only save the ancient tree - which she called "Luna" - but also all trees in her area.