By Travis Johnson
Australian director Justin Kurzel is bouncing back from the disappointment of Assassin’s Creed with a take on one of Australia’s foundational cultural myths, and he’s bringing an incredible cast with him.
Russell Crowe (Gladiator, LA Confidential, Romper Stomper), Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max: Fury Road, X-Men: First Class), Essie Davis (The Babadook, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries), Travis Fimmel (Vikings), Sean Keenan (Strangerland), Dacre Montgomery (Stranger Things), Harry Greenwood (Hacksaw Ridge), and Earl Cave (son of Nick) are set star in The True History of the Kelly Gang, with George MacKay (Captain Fantastic) in the lead role as Ned Kelly.
Shaun Grant (Snowtown, Jasper Jones, Berlin Syndrome) is on scripting duties, adapting the novel by Peter Carey. Speaking of the source, Kurzel said, “Peter Carey’s book The True History of the Kelly Gang always felt like the true spirit of Ned Kelly. Unsentimental, brutal, raw and visceral. His story is one of the great odysseys in history, and I feel excited to be bringing it to the screen with a fresh cinematic eye. This is a really unique and modern cast, and I am so proud to be working with such a talented ensemble of new faces and celebrated actors.”
Principal photography is scheduled to take place in Victoria from March 2018.
