Oscar nominee Naomi Watts shooting new movie in Sydney
Naomi Watts has begun shooting Penguin Bloom at picturesque Palm Beach alongside The Walking Dead’s Andrew Lincoln. SEE THE PICTURES
Best-selling book Penguin Bloom is a major step closer to becoming a feature film with production underway on a much anticipated big screen adaptation.
Oscar nominee Naomi Watts and The Walking Dead star Andrew Lincoln were snapped in character as real life couple Sam and Cameron Bloom in Palm Beach in Sydney this week.
Penguin Bloom is based on the 2016 Bradley Trevor Greive and Cameron Bloom book of the same name. It tells the story of Sam Bloom, who found hope to live again through caring for an injured magpie chick after she was paralysed from a fall in Thailand.
The couple and their three children dubbed the Magpie Penguin.
Directed by Glendyn Ivin, the film also stars Jacki Weaver as Jan, Sam’s mother.
Leanna Walsman, Lisa Hensley, Rachel House will also appear in the film alongside newcomers Griffin Murray-Johnston, Felix Cameron and Abe Clifford-Barr.
MORE ENTERTAINMENT:
Jess Mauboy: ‘I never tried drugs’
‘Poirot’ solves riddle of the sexes
Devout Christian Scherzinger upset by Israel Folau’s actions
Watts is producing the movie alongside Bruna Papandrea and Emma Cooper.
“It will be great to be home for a good, long stretch,” New York-based Watts said in November when the film was announced.
“Emma Cooper and Bruna Papandrea brought the story to my attention and showed me the book and I looked at it the minute it arrived with my children.
“We just went through the pages and saw these incredible, powerful images leap off the page and they told such a strong story of hope and humility.
“My kids love other kids but they also love animals and magpies. As we know are not the friendliest birds and so to see this magpie doing incredible things on film was great.”
$14k a clip: NSW YouTube stars making more than you
YouTube stars in NSW are raking in thousands of dollars per video but it’s what they do in their clips that will drive traditional workers mad. Check out the rich list.
Glamming it up for a return to the racecourse
The first official racing carnival featuring the new $46.6m WINX stand at Randwick Racecourse is kicking off, with model and new mum Ksenija Lukich among those dressing up for the occasion.