Screen Australia has announced almost $20 million investment in a diverse slate of feature films, adult television drama projects and children’s television series. The investment in 12 projects will trigger $100 million in production.
Features approved include The Rover, a futuristic Western from the producer and writer/director of Animal Kingdom, Liz Watts and David Michôd. Michôd will join Watts and David Linde (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) as a producer. The film’s cast includes world-class acting talents Robert Pattinson and Guy Pearce.
Screen Australia’s Chief Executive Ruth Harley said, “These four highly engaging and diverse Australian stories have huge potential. The Rover is a powerful well-crafted script from a talented team with an impressive cast. Anna Broinowski’s Aim High in Creation is a distinctive, ambitious film with a humorous and entertaining story. Felony has international breakout potential and Healing promises to be a highly emotional and moving story on screen.”
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THE ROVER
Porchlight Films Pty Ltd in association with Lava Bear Films LLC
Producers Liz Watts, David Linde, David Michôd
Writer/Director David Michôd
International Sales FilmNation
Australian Distributor Village Roadshow
Synopsis The Australian desert in a dangerous and damaged near future. Eric has left everything, everyone and every semblance of human kindness behind him. And then he has his last possession stolen by a gang of dangerous criminals. Eric sets off on a ruthless mission to track them down, forced along the way to enlist the help of Rey, the naïve and injured junior member of the gang, who was left behind in the bloody chaos of the gang’s most recent robbery.
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From THR:
SYDNEY -- On the day everyone learned that his girlfriend Kristen Stewart had strayed, Robert Pattinson's new starring role was given the greenlight.
Screen Australia said it will provide production financing for a previously announced Australian feature film project, The Rover, from Animal Kingdom writer-director David Michod. The Twilight star and Guy Pearce are both attached.
Set in the Australian desert, the futuristic western tells the story of Eric, who has left everything, everyone and every semblance of human kindness behind him, as he’s forced to join an injured gang member, Rey, to hunt down Rey’s gang after they steal the last of Eric’s possessions.
The Rover is produced by Porchlight Films in association with Los Angeles-based Lava Bear Films, with Liz Watts, David Linde and Michod producing. Film Nation will handle international sales, and Roadshow Films will be the Australian distributor.
The Rover is one of four features, four adult TV dramas and four kids TV series to receive $20 million of production funding from agency Screen Australia, triggering more than $100 million worth of production here.
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Screen Australia’s CEO Ruth Harley said: “These four highly engaging and diverse Australian stories have huge potential. The Rover is a powerful well-crafted script from a talented team with an impressive cast. Anna Broinowski’s Aim High in Creation is a distinctive, ambitious film with a humorous and entertaining story. Felony has international breakout potential, and Healing promises to be a highly emotional and moving story on screen.”
More Info on 'The Rover': Director and Producer Scouting Locations
The actor, who has a mass worldwide fan base thanks to The Twilight Saga films, will play a thief in the Outback in Animal Kingdom director David Michod’s futuristic western The Rover.
Guy Pearce has also been confirmed for the shoot, which will start in South Australia in late January next year.
Michod and producer Liz Watts scouted locations across SA, including the Flinders Ranges, earlier this month.
Flinders Ranges Mayor Peter Slattery said it would be a treat if Pattinson were in the region during the seven-week on-location shoot. Another two weeks will be shot at the Adelaide Studios.
“I daresay it would induce a bit of excitement in the area,” he said. “The spin-off effect is that the attention on them cross-promotes the area that we’re in. We certainly would be most enthused about him coming.”
Pattinson will have the choice of SA’s best Outback hospitality, from Wilpena Pound, luxury homestead Arkaba Station and Rawnsley Park Luxury Eco Villas to iconic tourist destination the Prairie Hotel in Parachilna.
The South Australian Film Corp has invested $450,000 in the project, which was approved in the latest round of Screen Australia funding.
The Rover’s overall funding budget is $12,250,000.
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