Upcoming genre-bending crime drama Kockroach, starring Chris Hemsworth, Taron Egerton and Zazie Beetz, is set to film in NSW with support from Screen NSW’s Made in NSW Fund. The production is expected to create more than 600 jobs and contribute an estimated $37 million in expenditure to the state’s economy.
Provocative and wildly entertaining, the film unites a powerhouse cast with director Matt Ross’ masterful command of tone and character to deliver the origin story of an unforgettable anti-hero. A tale of ruthless ambition and the relentless pursuit of power, Kockroach will film across Sydney with support of Screen NSW’s Made in NSW Fund, alongside the Australian Government’s Location Offset.
Adapted from the novel by William Lashner, Kockroach is the story of a mysterious stranger who takes on the underworld’s criminal elite, transforming himself into a larger-than-life crime boss in a city where power is everything.
From Mad Chance, Fourth & Twenty Eighth Films and Black Bear, Kockroach is directed by Matt Ross (Captain Fantastic) from a screenplay by Jonathan Ames (You Were Never Really Here) with revisions by Ross. Andrew Lazar (American Sniper) and Christina Weiss Lurie (Persuasion) produce, executive producers are John Friedberg and Vanessa Humphrey.
Screen NSW’s Made in NSW Fund is designed to support the advancement of NSW as a destination for international and local feature films and major television drama programs and continues to attract high profile screen productions to the state. Recent supported projects include Netflix’s The Big Fix, starring Riz Ahmed and Mark Wahlberg, Apple Original WWII drama Greyhound 2, starring Tom Hanks and Stephen Graham, Netflix’s Apex, which is due for release later this month, two seasons of Disney+’s Australian Original series The Artful Dodger, and Legendary Pictures Street Fighter, which is due for release in cinemas later in 2026.
Screen NSW Executive Director, Kylie Munnich said: “I’m thrilled that the team behind Kockroach are bringing this highly anticipated movie to our state. We are committed to ensuring NSW has a strong pipeline of local and inbound projects in the state, with the economic benefits of our screen projects felt across multiple industries including hospitality, transport and tourism.
“With our globally recognised cast, filmmakers and crews, breathtaking locations and worldclass studio facilities, we are continuing to see an exciting mix of projects choose to make our state their number one choice for filming in Australia.”
Kockroach producer Andrew Lazar said: “We could not be more excited to be shooting Kockroach in Sydney. It’s truly a world class, film friendly city in every respect: the film crews are incredible, locations vast and diverse and our cast is looking forward to enjoying everything Sydney had to offer including the excellent accommodation and food.”
Main photo by Brook Rushton
