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Eastwood eyes
isle locations

Clint Eastwood has a location scout coming to Oahu and the Big Island next month for his big-budget war epic "Flags of our Fathers: Heroes of Iwo Jima," which could begin shooting here in August. Eastwood will direct and Steven Spielberg will produce the film that recounts the grueling World War II battle. Look for a 2006 release date ...

On the "Lost" front, Touchstone Television's "intention" is to keep the series in Hawaii as it continues to seek additional financial assistance from the state. No one wants to talk about a drop-dead date as to when ABC would decide to stay or leave. May 11 is the tentative date for the season's finale.

Several ABC/Touchstone execs, including VP of production and Kalani High School grad Barry Jossen, were in Honolulu recently, quietly meeting with state officials. One way to decrease costs, several members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees suggest, is to cut the number of mainland workers. They estimate that as many as 60 were brought in during the first season, costing the production as much as $200,000 a month in housing and other expenses.

"Lost" co-creators Damon Lindelof and J.J. Abrams are considering making a mini-movie that answers why the plane crashed on the island. This would be included on the first season DVD to be released in September. Other extras will include commentaries, deleted scenes, footage of the L-1011 aircraft being cut up in California's Mojave Desert and transported by barge to Hawaii; and a behind-the-scenes look at the original polar bear sequence.

The production company's registered name in Hawaii is Grass Skirt Productions.

And finally, veteran locations manager Randy Spangler has joined with Jim Triplett on the drama. Triplett had been doing solo duty ...

If Fox's "North Shore" series does come back after a two-month hiatus, thank the dismal ratings of its replacement "Point Pleasant." But look for major cast revisions. According to sources, the last, unfilmed episode has Kris Polaha's character killed in a car explosion; James Remar running from authorities; and Jason Momoa and Nikki DeLoach quitting the Grand Waimea Hotel to open a Waikiki nightclub. That leaves Brooke Burns and Shannen Doherty unaccounted for ...