Hugo Weaving To Star In Australian Streamer Binge’s First Original Film ‘How To Make Gravy’

Jesse Whittock
·3 min read
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EXCLUSIVE: Hugo Weaving is leading Australian streamer Binge’s first original film, How to Make Gravy.

The Lord of the Rings and The Matrix star will lead an ensemble cast alongside side Daniel Henshall (Snowtown, Mystery Road: Origin) in the feature.

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Brenton Thwaites (Titans, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales), Damon Herriman (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Mr Inbetween), Kate Mulvany (The Twelve, Hunters) and French actress Agathe Rouselle (Titane) in her debut English-language performance will also star, with more cast members to be announced. The film will also feature cameo performances from Australian musicians, including Adam Briggs and rising rap talent Dallas Woods.

How to Make Gravy is based on Paul Kelly’s iconic Australian song that tells the story of an inmate writing a letter home as his family prepares to celebrate their first Christmas without him. The 1996 song has such a place in Australian hearts that Gravy Day, held on December 21, has become an annual event.

Meg Washington and Nick Waterman have adapted the film for screen, with Waterman also directing. Both are producers alongside Hamish Lewis and Academy Award-nominated producer Schuyler Weiss (Elvis).

Warner Bros International Television Production Australia is producing, with Fifth Season on board to distribute internationally. Binge’s parent Foxtel Group ordered the show as part of its new slate, which is being unveiled this morning in Sydney. Executive producers are Michael Brooks for WBITVP and Susannah George with Alison Hurbert-Burns and Amanda Laing for Binge. Head of Scripted for the Foxtel Group is Lana Greenhalgh. Screen Queensland helped finance the project.

“For many decades, people have approached Paul to do something, so to have him fully endorsing and believe in it is really special. It’s a beautiful project,” Hurbert-Burns told Deadline. “It will be capturing a slice of Christmas – an Australian family on a hot day, no snow or carolling. We always watch Christmases that are cold and wintery on TV but why aren’t we seeing our own country on the screen?”

“It’s a great privilege to bring Paul Kelly’s iconic song to the screen,” she added in a statement. “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.

“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.”

Waterman and Washington added in a statement: “It’s testament to Paul’s songwriting that the world and characters within the song are so vivid, and we are proud to have the honor of bringing it to life. It’s a uniquely Australian story, made for film lovers and music fans alike.”

How to Make Gravy will launch on Binge and be available through pay-TV service Foxtel, which commissioned the feature.

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