Movie stars arrive in NTBy GREG McLEAN
AUSTRALIA'S hottest director and two Hollywood stars arrived in the NT yesterday to start filming a $20 million movie starring a rogue crocodile.
Writer-director Greg McLean -- who learned yesterday that his latest film Wolf Creek had debuted at No. 1 at the Australian box office -- has brought together a stellar cast for his next project, Rogue.
Hollywood heart-throb Michael Vartan -- who starred alongside Jennifer Lopez in Monster-in-Law this year and also wooed audiences as agent Michael Vaughn in the TV series Alias opposite Jennifer Garner -- joins the cream of Australia's acting talent in the big-budget movie about an American travel writer whose tour group is stalked by a rogue crocodile in the Aussie outback.
Australian beauty Radha Mitchell will also feature in a home-grown film for the first time in two years after her stellar performance in Woody Allen's Melinda and Melinda.
Joining the Hollywood hotshots are John Jarratt (Wolf Creek, McLeod's Daughters), Sam Worthington (Somersault, Gettin' Square) and Stephen Curry (Thunderstruck, The Nugget).
Mr McLean said he was excited about the prospect of filming in the Territory for the next three weeks with a hand-picked cast of such talented actors.
"Everyone we wanted in the film agreed," he said.
"It was much easier to get them to say yes having something to show them (Wolf Creek) rather than just being this crazy guy with a bunch of ideas and a script under my arm.
"A lot of people don't get to work with this calibre of actors once in their careers so I'm just enjoying it while I have the chance."
He said his inspiration for Rogue could be traced back to his childhood of enjoying the antics of eccentric Aussie adventurer Alby Mangels.
The NT Film Office lobbied to get the movie filmed in the Territory after McLean showed initial interest in the Kimberleys.
Rogue will be filmed on location at Yellow Waters and Red Lillee Lagoon in Kakadu National Park and around Katherine and Adelaide River before the cast and crew head to the studios in Melbourne to add the final touches.
From:
Northern Territory News
