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Wogs Back At Work
Filmink thought it was April Fool’s Day when we received a press release about production being approved on the new Australian film, Wog Boy 2: The Kings of Mykonos.
The follow-up to the hugely successful 2000 film, The Wog Boy directed by Aleski Vellis is getting a sequel titled Wog Boy 2: The Kings of Mykonos which is set to begin filming in September. The sequel is to be directed by TV vet Peter Andrikidis, who by his surname alone would know a thing or two about being a wog.
Nick Giannopoulos, who seems to have been on cinema hiatus since his last film (and directorial debut) The Wannabes back in 2003, will reprise his role as Steve Karamitsis alongside Vince Colosimo (Body of Lies, Underbelly) who plays Frank.
The sequel takes place a few years after the first film where things aren't going well for the Wog Boy having lost his true love (a '67 Valiant Pacer) and all his assets after trusting the wrong Italian. Frank also has his own problems, losing touch with the ladies after a messy divorce. Fortune soon favours the boys as Steve discovers he's inherited a beach on the resort of Greek Island, Mykonos from an uncle he never met - a beach worth millions.
Filming for Wog Boy 2 will take place in Melbourne and Greece and just like the first, is written by Chris Anastassiades and Nick Giannopoulos.
"I'm very excited to be continuing the ‘Wog Boy' journey with these unique Aussie born characters to a country that I love visiting every year," says Giannopoulos. "The island of Mykonos is one of my favourite parts of the world. It's a place where the whole world meets to have fun in the sun. It's an island where a couple of wog boys could really meet their match."
Grossing an impressive $13.4 million, The Wog Boy cemented itself as one of Australia's most successful comedies of all time, entertaining over 7 million people in the process. Nick Giannopoulos quickly became Australia's unofficial Greek ambassador, making the ‘wog' a potent comedic brand in film, television and on stage.
Nine years on, there's no doubt the pressure is on to deliver something equally, if not more successful than the first, not only at the box office but amongst its fan base. Despite being in the early stages of production, its distributors already have great confidence in the project.
"It's Mama Mia meets Zorba The Greek, one of the funniest scripts we've ever read and destined to become an enormous box office hit. "With Nick's blessing today we proudly become honorary wogs," say Richard Payten and Andrew Mackie of Transmission Films, which has an output deal with Paramount Pictures in Australia. You wish boys, you're as Aussie as Skippy.
Accomplished Australian producers Emile Sherman ($9.99, Candy, Disgrace) and Iain Canning (Mary and Max, Hunger) have signed on to work on the film and also have faith that the film will please not only existing fans but also those unfamiliar with the original.
"This is a brilliant opportunity to bring back to the big screen some of Australia's favourite all time characters. This sequel will stand alone as a great Australian and international comedy, helmed by two of Australia's funniest men - Nick Giannopoulos and Vince Colosimo. We're excited to be working alongside Nick Giannopoulos and Andrew Penney of Go Films, and Peter Andrikidis, as well as our distribution partners Transmission Films and Paramount Pictures, to bring this franchise to a new generation as well as to its huge base of fans," say Emile Sherman and Iain Canning of See-Saw Films.
Paramount are distributing the film and have no concerns about the film's relevance or appeal nine years since the original and feel it's what is needed in Australian film.
"We're really looking forward to working with Nick, Vince and Peter, our friends at See-Saw and our Transmission partners on this great project. Wogboy 2: The King of Mykonos is a perfect example of the need for Australian producers to return to the production of genuinely commercial product that appeals to the mainstream Australian public," says Mike Selwyn, Managing Director of Paramount Pictures Australia.
The project has also received funding from Screen Australia.
Whether Wog Boy 2 will connect with today's audiences, post Fat Pizza, and who this year alone will have met both The Cedar Boys and The Combination, will be decided in 2010.
Wog Boy 2: The King of Mykonos has gone into production and will commence filming in September.