Streaming service Stan is getting its chompers into a new Romper Stomper TV series, with production starting this week on a six-part drama that continues on from the movie.
The movie was first released 25 years ago, with streaming service Stan staking its reputation on stunning TV productions the company hopes you’ll want to pay to see on SVOD TV.
The Romper Stomper TV show will be “a high stakes crime drama/political thriller that explores the human face of extremism” and joins other Stan originals such as No Activity, Wolf Creek and The Other Guy.
Promising a bold and provocative thrill-ride, we’re told that “Romper Stomper will pick up on the prescient themes and story of Geoffrey Wright’s 1992 classic film, following a new generation of the activist Right, their Anti-Fascist counterparts, and the multicultural fabric of a country each of them threatens to tear apart.”
{loadposition alex08}Whereas the film from 25 years ago made Russell Crowe a star, the TV version will feature Jacqueline McKenzie and Dan Wyllie “reprising their roles from the original film”, to be joined by Lachy Hulme, Sophie Lowe, David Wenham and Toby Wallace – all stars you can check up on IMDB where you’ll see impressive past works to their names.
Stan explains that the new series “is the brainchild of original filmmaker Wright himself, who will direct alongside the formidable talents of Daina Reid and New Zealand director James Napier Robertson – also both IMDB-able.
The 6 x 1-hour drama is written by Wright, Robertson, award-winning author/poet and rapper Omar Musa, and Walkley award-winning journalist and author Malcolm Knox.
Producer John Edwards said: “Romper Stomper is a fantastic chance to break the mould of Australian drama – a contemporary thriller with competing tribes and different points of view battling for power. The series brings together some of our greatest character actors and wonderful new talents as well. Very exciting.”
Stan’s chief content officer Nick Forward said: “With such an extraordinary creative team, Romper Stomper will be unmissable television, as provocative now as the film was in 1992, examining at a personal level the hatred, fear, vengeance and politics hidden in plain sight all around us. Stan is privileged to bring Geoffrey’s prodigious talents to bear on a contemporary exploration of the themes his film tackled so brilliantly.”
He noted the movie was “mesmerising, confrontational and controversial, the original film’s ideas are more relevant than ever now, 25 years later, as the world confronts the politics of hate and hard-right populism".
Stan clearly has high hopes for this new original series, proclaiming it will be a bold, “must-see TV event, and will be available exclusively on Stan".
Screen Australia’s head of Production Sally Caplan said: “Few Australian films provoked more social commentary than Romper Stomper did in 1992. With prolific producer John Edwards and original Romper Stomper writer/director Geoffrey Wright at the helm, this project came to us with an exceptional creative vision, now supercharged by a stellar Australian cast. We commend Stan on taking a risk with this story and are delighted to partner with them once again as they continue to expand their original local content offerings.”
Film Victoria chief executive Jenni Tosi said: “In 1992 Film Victoria supported Geoffrey Wright as he set the Australian feature film world alight with his fearless debut feature Romper Stomper. Twenty-five years later we are delighted that he is leading this reimagining of the original story along with the equally talented Victorian Director Daina Reid and being produced by John Edwards and Dan Edwards from Roadshow Rough Diamond.”
There’s no specific word on when the TV series will start, only that production begins this week. If we’re lucky it will air this year, otherwise I guess we can expect it in early 2018.