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Beloved actor Hugo Weaving set to star in first ever Binge original feature film

A legendary Australian song by Paul Kelly will be turned into a feature film starring beloved actor Hugo Weaving.

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Australian streaming platform BINGE has announced it will develop its first original feature film..

During the Foxtel Upfronts event on Sydney Harbour on Thursday evening, it was revealed that British-Aussie actor Hugo Weaving will lead the cast on the film titled How to Make Gravy, which has been commissioned by the Foxtel Group for BINGE.

The movie – now in production on Queensland’s Gold Coast – is an adaptation of Aussie singer Paul Kelly’s iconic hit of the same name.

Hugo Weaving will star in BINGE’s first ever feature film, How to Make Gravy. Picture: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images
Hugo Weaving will star in BINGE’s first ever feature film, How to Make Gravy. Picture: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

Just like the song, the film tells the story of a newly imprisoned man writing a letter home as his family prepare to celebrate their first Christmas without him.

Also starring in the movie are Daniel Henshall, Brenton Thwaites, Damon Herriman, and Kate Mulvany, who appears in the Foxtel hit series, The Twelve, which is currently in production in Western Australia for Season 2.

Making her English-language debut is celebrated French actress Agathe Rouselle.

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Daniel Henshall stars in How To Make Gravy.
Daniel Henshall stars in How To Make Gravy.
Brenton Thwaites stars in How To Make Gravy.
Brenton Thwaites stars in How To Make Gravy.

It will be directed by Nick Waterman and adapted for the screen by award-winning musician Megan Washington, who is also his wife.

“It’s a great privilege to bring Paul Kelly’s iconic song to the screen. I’ve listened to the song for decades, often on my own Christmas road trip, conjuring up the characters, wondering if Stella made her flight and if the brothers made it down from Queensland. Come 2024, at last we’ll know!” Alison Hurbert-Burns, Executive Director BINGE and Commissioning & Content Foxtel Group said of bringing the song’s characters to life.

Kate Mulvany stars in How To Make Gravy.
Kate Mulvany stars in How To Make Gravy.
Agathe Rousselle stars in How To Make Gravy.
Agathe Rousselle stars in How To Make Gravy.

“And with an all-star cast, and such talented creatives in Nick and Meg and our production partners at Warner Bros, we can’t wait to share it with Australia, in what we hope will become a beloved addition to Gravy Day, for many years to come.”

Since its release in 1996, the song has become part of Christmas playlists in many Aussie households.

In 1997, it was nominated for Song of the Year at the ARIA awards, but lost out to Savage Garden’s Truly Madly Deeply.

Weaving is no stranger to BINGE, starring in its hit drama Love Me with Bob Morley, Bojana Novakovic, William Lodder and Heather Mitchell.
Weaving is no stranger to BINGE, starring in its hit drama Love Me with Bob Morley, Bojana Novakovic, William Lodder and Heather Mitchell.

Weaving is no stranger to the BINGE platform, having recently starred on its hit series Love Me.

In the drama, Weaving plays Glen Mathieson, a father of two adult children who loses his partner later in life who navigates new intimacies like love and romance.

Speaking to news.com.au last year, The Lord of the Rings and The Matrix actor said he’s not one to plan what roles he’s going to take in his career – he just wants to connect with the script and go from there.

“I’m always on the lookout for something interesting, and I never know what it’s going to be,” he said.

“Some actors might dictate their future more than I do. Sometimes I wish I could but I just try to choose things that interest me and will take me on a different course.”

Originally published as Beloved actor Hugo Weaving set to star in first ever Binge original feature film

Original URL: https://www.themercury.com.au/entertainment/movies/beloved-actor-hugo-weaving-set-to-star-in-first-ever-binge-original-feature-film/news-story/1ae3b2d6e3d378ba8cf753fe0c077b36