How Australian literature is taking Hollywood by storm
Backed by some of our biggest screen stars like Nicole Kidman and Joel Edgerton, Aussie literature is being translated into very popular TV shows and movies. And the international spotlight on local writing is unlikely to die down with more works on the way.
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They have sold millions of books, topped international bestseller lists and gained loyal readers around the globe — now the work of Australia’s best writers is being translated to the screen thanks to Hollywood’s biggest stars.
The country’s leading acting exports such as Nicole Kidman, Simon Baker and Russell Crowe have put their weight behind leading Aussie writers.
Nicole Kidman became executive producer to turn Liane Moriarty’s best-selling book Big Little Lies into a TV series, and also brought Moriarty on as a writer for the second series.
She has continued the collaboration by purchasing the film and TV rights to some of Moriarty’s other books: Nine Perfect Strangers, The Last Anniversary and Truly Madly Guilty.
Simon Baker made his directorial debut with an adaptation of Tim Winton’s Breath.
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And Russell Crowe produced another Aussie literature-to-film transition with The Water Diviner.
Screen Australia chief executive Graeme Mason says the international spotlight on local writing is unlikely to die down — Aussie literature is having its Hollywood moment.
“People like Nicole and Simon, working with and shining a light back on Australian content, is incredible,” he tells BW Magazine.
“Even on Big Little Lies, obviously it ended up being set in Monterey (California), (but) in all her interviews, Nicole talked about sitting in a cafe in the northern beaches with (Moriarty) … she talks about Liane in all her interviews.
“What you’ve got there is an amazing thing.
“We have always had screen stars, they are the biggest offshore thing this country has, and they are now helping us shine a light on this content creation.”
Mason says the trend will gain momentum, with two more Tim Winton books (The Riders, to be produced by Ridley Scott, and Dirt Music) picked up for film adaptations and Eric Bana starring in Jane Harper’s The Dry.
“You’ve got Eric Bana working here at home in a feature film for the first time in many, many years … you’ve got other Tim Winton projects being made. You’ve got the Les Norton books (by Robert G. Barrett) coming back as a TV show — that’s really exciting I think,” he says.
“Ten years ago we didn’t all use Facebook and Twitter and the internet. People in Germany now have a better understanding of Australia beyond our indigenous Australians, the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House.
“There’s a bigger interest in us so those authentic stories that show us and define us, people are interested in them.”
And the interest is palpable both in the form of critical and commercial success.
The Garth Davis directed autobiographical drama Lion, starring Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman and based on Saroo Brierley’s A Long Way From Home, earned six Oscar nominations and $140 million at the worldwide box office — making it one of the most successful Australian films of all time.
HBO series Big Little Lies was listed as one of Time magazine’s top 10 shows of 2017 and won four Golden Globes and five Emmy Awards. Simon Baker’s 2017 film Breath was nominated for 16 AACTA Awards, winning five.
Film expert Dean Carey has seen first-hand the commitment of Aussie stars fostering local creativity, and finds their love for homegrown talent is never dulled by international stardom.
“I think any artist worth their weight will have a deep connection to their own culture and their own stories,” he says.
“Even though the business is quite small in Australia and people have to go overseas to find the work they want, I don’t think our stars would ever lose their connection to wanting to share stories that are Australian.
“There is an appetite in artists to share stories that are familiar with them … even though stories are universal — like the film Lion — there’s something about making Australian stories in Australian landscapes that’s special.”
Carey supports actors who choose to produce and direct local stories because they have a more nuanced understanding of the subject matter.
“There’s something wonderful about having someone who understands what the story is
and then steps behind the camera,” he explains.
“It changes the whole dynamic on set. The stories get much more momentum when the producers and directors and cast understand the essential elements.”
Joel Edgerton also showed his commitment to Australian narratives in his production The Rover, set in the outback and for which he was co-writer.
And while last year’s critically acclaimed Boy Erased was based on an American story, he chose to star fellow Aussies Kidman, Crowe and Troye Sivan — and also wrote the screenplay himself.
The Tinseltown influence is certainly working wonders for writers, turning them into bona fide stars in their own right.
Authors are making their way to everything from the Emmy Award stage and meetings with celebrities to photoshoots and jam-packed press tours.
Dymocks fiction category head Kate Mayor says the film and TV adaptations are a testament to the quality of writing from Down Under.
After all, Hollywood stars have access to content from all across the globe but have chosen these stories.
“I think it’s the strength of the writing. In Australia we have incredibly gifted storytellers and when a story is written well people anywhere can relate to it,” she says.
“It’s great that that’s getting the international recognition now.
“Production companies are now looking for these Australian stories because the recent success
has proven that they work (commercially).
“The fact that our Australian actors are searching out these Aussie stories is getting the attention because everybody is watching what Nicole is doing and everybody is watching what Eric is doing.”
The love for Aussie stories will continue with the following adaptations in the works:
1. The Husband’s Secret
CBS Films has acquired the film rights to this successful novel by Liane Moriarty, with US actor Blake Lively in a starring role.
2. Babyteeth
The recently announced project will have Australians Ben Mendelsohn and Essie Davis in leading roles and is based on the play by Rita Kalnejais.
3. True History Of The Kelly Gang
The upcoming biographical film is based on a book by Peter Carey. Russell Crowe is on board both as a producer and actor.
4. Les Norton
A 10-part TV series based on the Robert G. Barrett novels is currently being produced starring Aussie actors David Wenham and Rebel Wilson.
Originally published as How Australian literature is taking Hollywood by storm
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