Rebel Wilson directing new film The Deb in regional NSW

Rebel Wilson is back in Australia as production gets under way for her directorial debut musical comedy The Deb — and she’s brought her young daughter back home for the first time.

Rebel Wilson has big dreams for her directorial debut The Deb — dreams the size of ­Muriel’s Wedding, Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert, and Crocodile Dundee.

The Pitch Perfect star gave The Saturday Telegraph a behind-the-scenes tour of her Rozelle production office before she sets off for filming in regional NSW next week.

Carcoar, Blayney, Orange, and Sydney are just some of the NSW locations she will put on the international stage as she aims to bring Aussie humour to Hollywood.

After showing off an impressive rehearsal for a party scene with a huge group of young dancers, Wilson said the chance to direct a musical comedy in Australia was the career move she was waiting for.

“If I was directing a movie it was only going to be in Australia because that’s authentic to me, I didn’t want to do the studio ones I was offered in America because I didn’t feel like I had that heart connection,” she said.

Producer/director Rebel Wilson at the rehearsal space for her new film The Deb, which starts filming next week. Picture: Tim Hunter

“I wanted to bring my family back here because my little daughter, it’s her first time in Australia and she is loving it, I’ve taken her multiple times to see the koalas. Everything is so safe here.”

Wilson said she was hoping to create the same level of humour and colour as Muriel’s Wedding and Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert.

Producer/Director Rebel Wilson with NSW Arts Minister John Graham and dancers. Picture: Tim Hunter

Dancers rehearse a musical number. Picture: Tim Hunter.

Her film is the story of a farm girl in Outback Australia getting ready for her debutante ball — and her cynical inner-city cousin putting a spanner in the works.

Wilson plays a small role as a hairdresser, but the film’s stars include young talent Natalie Abbott and Charlotte McInnes alongside Aussie legend Shane Jacobson, with the full cast yet to be announced.

The film is based on a critically acclaimed Australian stage musical, which blew Wilson away when it showed at The Rebel Theatre.

“I’m shocked that, apart from Paul Hogan who had massive success, The Castle and I know Colin From ­Accounts has just broken out recently … but as I’ve been ­living in America there’s not a lot of Australian comedies that have broken through,” she said.

“Australians are so funny … Australia is a mix of British and American humour, which makes it perfect to export.”

While the strikes in Hollywood brought uncertainty and unemployment for many, ­production of The Deb is fully independent and has been ­allowed to proceed ­uninterrupted.

Wilson said the strikes had even helped production, allowing her to shoot in unoccupied Disney studios and hire crew who would have otherwise been tied down to huge movies.

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