Epic heist movie ‘Cape Tribulation’ to be filmed next year
PORT DOUGLAS
LIGHTS … Camera … Action. It’s the wonderful, provocative world of the big screen and Port Douglas will once again take centre stage in an $8 million fast-paced heist movie titled Cape Tribulation, which will be filmed here over six weeks in October and November next year.
In announcing this at today’s final Council meeting of the year, Mayor Julia Leu said this once again shows that the shire has the ability to cater to major films. This is expected to have an economic impact of more than $2 million.
Champion Aussie actor Stephen Curry (Hounds of Love, The King, The Castle) wrote the script for the fast-paced heist caper collaborating with good friend Producer Hearn (Wolf Creek, Rogue), and they plan to bring a cast and crew of 60 people to Port Douglas for more than six weeks in October and November next year.
Aussie action star Sullivan Stapleton (Blindspot, 300: Rise of an Empire, Animal Kingdom) leads an all-star Australian cast already attached to Cape Tribulation alongside Dan Wyllie (Chopper, Underbelly, Romper Stomper), Robert Taylor (Longmire, The Matrix), Rarriwuy Hick (Cleverman, Redfern Now) and Curry.
Port Douglas local Greg McLean, who has been appointed Executive Producer, said the movie will be attractive to all audiences.
“It’s about a heist that goes terribly wrong and involves a bunch of knockabouts in a drug deal which offers a great deal of humour,” he said.
When Stapleton first read the script, he was hooked from the beginning. “I found myself laughing out loud in a café in New York. I love the characters, the black comedy and relentless action and you don’t need to twist my arm very far to entice me to shoot a movie in a tropical paradise with such a talented cast and crew,” he said.
Curry and Hearn conceived the plot to carry out a heist film in Port Douglas two years ago when they visited as Ambassadors of the Port Shorts Film Festival.
“We were sitting in Salsa restaurant opposite the little white chapel overlooking the inlet, talking about the colourful characters we’d met and some of their stories about the wild old days of Port Douglas, and the story just hit us," Curry said.
“They’ve got a really honest sense of humour in North Queensland and Port Douglas has a fascinating history filled with old fishermen’s tales. We thought if we could create an entertaining story around these incredible locations we’d be onto something.
“We also wanted to portray the location as itself rather than pretending Port Douglas is the Caribbean or somewhere else so the region benefits from the international exposure."
McLean said they are currently negotiating with private investors and film agencies to secure the finance with the aim of ramping up pre-production for Cape Tribulation early next year and recruiting as many locals as possible to be involved in the film.
“It will be massive for Port Douglas. There are more than 2600 accommodation nights to fill for cast and crew in the shoulder season, more than 10,000 meals, transport, security, extras and supporting cast, assistants, runners, and more,” said McLean.
The Douglas Shire is no stranger to producing movies. Steven Spielberg’s TV series Pacific was filmed in Port Douglas; as was Fool’s Gold – the brilliant 2007 flick starting Matthew McConaughey.
The Daintree hosted the filming of The Thin Red Line, and most of the production occurred around the Cape Tribulation area; and Nim’s Island, starring Jodi Foster, was also filmed around the Daintree and around Port Douglas.
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