Panama City, Mar 16 (IANS/EFE): "Paradise Lost", a romance-thriller involving the niece of late Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, to be played by Puerto Rican actor Benicio del Toro, will be shot in Panama, an official source told EFE.

The source refused to give details about when the shooting would begin or at what precise locations, saying the production company has asked for "maximum discretion".

But media outlets said some technical staff had begun arriving in Panama, while Del Toro, 46, will be in the Central American country next week when filming starts in the western province of Chiriqui, which borders Costa Rica, and Cerro Azul, a mountainous area outside Panama City.

The film will be the directorial debut of Italy's Andrea Di Stefano, who also wrote the screenplay. As an actor, Di Stefano has appeared in more than a score of TV productions and movies, including Taiwanese-American filmmaker Ang Lee's "Life of Pi".

"Paradise Lost" tells of the romance that develops between Pablo Escobar's niece, Mary, and a surfer named Nick (Josh Hutcherson), who falls in love with the young woman during a trip to Colombia.