Ol' Father Geek here to present once more our AICN Downunder Report and its new editor
Latauro of Melbourne...
Latauro here with another report on the exciting film industries of Australia, New Zealand, and the Disputed Indonesian Province of Aceh. Let’s do it...
AICN-DOWNUNDER
AICN-DOWNUNDER
When I printed the scoop about Peter Jackson directing KING KONG, I had a feeling it’d either make or break my reputation. When he refuted it, I felt I’d destroyed my credibility before I’d even established it... Luckily, Peter turned out to be a big fat liar whose pants were on fire. As you all know by now, KING KONG will be released in 2005. Drunk on power, I am making it my mission to find out everything I can about this production.
This also extends to ‘BAR—’. Oh, yes. He IS making that film. Whatever it is, there will be some form of BAR project (totally different from any previous Jackson film) coming out of Wingnut at some point in the very near future. We’re going to find out about that, too. Current information is just a bit too "Sketchy" for me to draw a clear picture for you. Sometimes I wish I could just be a little bitty Fly on the wall of these guys offices.
So where does Jackson’s current crew stand? Well, the pickups for RETURN OF THE KING are happening soon, and we believe that some designers in WETA have already begun designs for Kong himself. When funding initially fell through for KONG back in 1997, Jackson had already done alot of pre-production work on the guy and just moved everyone working on that production directly over to LORD OF THE RINGS. Expect another such switch as post-production on ROTK winds down, with the hundreds of crew finishing up their LOTR work and moving instantly... directly back to KONG.
Meanwhile, I must address a frequent theme appearing in emails and talkback: PETER PAN. Given it’s such a large production with a such a high-profile history, many have been speculating (bitching!) about why nothing has appeared in this column about it. Well, the PAN production is tight as tight can be. Ain’t nothing getting out of there.
Except that it is.
More in the next few weeks…
NEWS
* Ned Kelly seems to be the flavour of the month. While Gregor Jordan’s NED KELLY has Ledgered up to number one spot (see the Box Office report down below), Neil Jordan’s TRUE HISTORY OF THE KELLY GANG seems to have been canned completely. Well, rumours of another production are floating around... THE SASH is currently in pre-production, and will begin shooting at the end of the year. Described as ‘dark and gritty’, the film will show Kelly in his prison cell during the last two weeks of his life, as he flashes back to his life. The production plans to have a ‘less Hollywoodized’ version than the now-screening KELLY, and will show the bushranger in a not-so-positive light. There will also be a ‘twist’ of sorts at the end – but one keeping true with history.
As an aside, the ‘sash’ of the title refers to the sash Kelly wore at his last stand in Glenrowan; he won it as a child when he saved another child from drowning. See, film news and a history lesson wrapped in one. Who said we don’t provide? (By the way, in keeping with the Kelly projects’ namesake tradition, AICN-DOWNUNDER did a quick search on imdb.com, and found a further 43 directors listed with ‘Jordan’ in their names... If Michael Jordan directs it, we at AICN expect it to be called AIR KELLY: I WANNA BE LIKE NED. No, really.)
* The US-backed genre pic BOOGEYMEN is shooting in New Zealand for a 2004 release. The film is directed by Mehdi Norowzian, written by Eric Kriphe, Juliet Snowden and Stiles White, and is produced by (amongst others) Sam Raimi. Norowzian directed LEO in 2002, and was nominated in 2000 for the Best Live Action Short Oscar for KILLING JOE.
* AFTRS graduate Steven Pasvolsky, who was nominated for *this* year’s Best Live Action Short Oscar for INJA (DOG), is preparing his first film DECK DOGZ. The film follows three boys and a journey to meet their hero. It’s produced by Bill and Jennifer Bennett as part of a deal with the Film Finance Corporation; Bill Bennett is best known for directing TWO IF BY SEA, KISS OR KILL and THE NUGGET.
* Another Aussie film, MORE THAN SCARLET, is set in a ski resort town and is described as a ‘coming-of-age’ drama. It is directed by Cate Shortland, who is best known for her work on Melbourne TV series ‘The Secret Life of Us’. It is Executive Produced by Jan Chapman (THE PIANO, LANTANA).
* Good news for cash-strapped Queensland film makers; the Australian Film Commission has opened a new Brisbane office, to be headed by Jackie McKimmie. Until now, just about the only funding available to QLD film makers has been the PFTC (Pacific Film and Television Commission). Hopefully, we’ll be seeing twice as much product coming out of the northern state.
As for that bastard middle-child who gets all the attention, New South Wales received the news that the NSW Film and Television Office will provide funding for three new development schemes: the Young Filmmakers Fund, the Aurora feature film script development projects, and the New Feature Film Writer’s Scheme.
* Hugo Weaving and Jaqueline McKenzie have begun work on PEACHES. Directed by Craig Monahan, the film is currently being shot in South Australia’s city of churches, Adelaide.
* Still in South Australia, lensing on ‘rock ’n’ roll’ movie THUNDERSTRUCK begins next month.
AWARDS AND FESTIVALS
Entries for the fourth annual Melbourne Underground Film Festival closed today (in retrospect, information we should have given you a few weeks ago…). The festival itself promises to begin on July 3 and finish up on July 13. Think we’re lying? Check out their website at http://www.muff.au.com/noflash_index.html.
The 2003 Australian Film Institute Awards will be held concurrently to the Screen Producers Association of Australia in November. So if you’re a film producer with a love of anagrams, come to Australia in November and get yourself some AFI and SPAA action!
BOX OFFICE
As predicted, NED KELLY shot to top-spot, bringing in $2.6 million over a four-day period. Compared to US box office figures it may sound small, but that’s an average of $7427 per screen (on 352 screens). It is the third biggest opening weekend for an Australian film.
1. NED KELLY
2. DAREDEVIL
3. CRADLE 2 THE GRAVE
4. CHICAGO
5. MAID IN MANHATTEN
RELEASED THIS WEEK
PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE finally gets released down here, and I personally have to add to the kudos-heaping. Just when I thought I knew what to expect from p.t.a., he pulls a fast one. There is no way to prepare for this film, so check it out.
There was a bit of trepidation earlier as to whether we downunder would get OSIRIS attached to DREAMCATCHER. Not to worry; the short will precede all screenings of DREAMCATCHER, opening this week.
NEXT WEEK...?
Peter Jackson to be permanently fitted with a lie detector.
Fourth Ned Kelly film to speculate on life Kelly would have lived had he been a pacifist.
Powderfinger song to appear on soundtrack for new Australian film.
