THE razzmatazz of Hollywood has arrived in the region with the filming of a new multi-million pound TV spectacular.

Film-makers are lavishing almost £18m on a swashbuckling new version of Daniel Defoe's classic tale Robinson Crusoe.

And the cameras have now started rolling on the star-studded production, with the North Yorkshire locations including York and Whitby.

Visitors to the former have been startled to see big names like Sean Bean and Sam Neill striding the streets and rowing on the river in full period costume.

Shooting is taking place over the next few days by the Ouse, in the Guildhall, on Shambles, in College Street by the Minster and in Fairfax House.

In Whitby the crew are descending on the harbour where filming is taking place against the backdrop of the Grand Turk, the replica of an 18th-century man o'war.

The desert island scenes will be filmed in the rather more exotic locations of the Seychelles and South Africa.

American actor Philip Winchester, of Thunderbirds and Flyboys fame, is taking on the title role with Lord of the Rings and Goldeneye veteran Sean Bean playing his father. Sam Neill, who famously dodged dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, is a friend of the family.

In the original book Crusoe came from York and the film-makers are using the city for a series of flashback sequences explaining his background.

The 13-part epic is being produced by British production company Power for NBC and will also be broadcast on one of the main British channels.