South Australia’s vast outback will be in the international spotlight once again with Zac Efron thriller Gold set for a wide US release after being acquired by Screen Media through a reportedly competitive bidding war.
Shot late last year in Leigh Creek in South Australia’s stunning Flinders Ranges, and supported with production funding from the South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC), Gold co-stars Anthony Hayes (Animal Kingdom, The Square), who co-wrote the script with Polly Smyth in addition to directing the picture. Susie Porter (The Monkey’s Mask, Cargo) rounds out the cast.
Gold follows two men travelling through the remote desert, who stumble across the biggest gold nugget ever found. They hatch a plan to protect and excavate the gold, which sees one leave to secure equipment while the other stays behind to protect the discovery – at all costs.
Speaking with Variety Hayes said: “It is always every filmmaker’s dream to make a film and snag a large North American release for their film and a bidding war is even more rare.
“It is a testament to our film Gold and to everyone who worked so hard to bring it to life that Screen Media will shepherd this film into cinemas and beyond in North America. It proves the indie film landscape is alive and well and that distributors and audiences alike have a voracious appetite for films made outside the studio system.”
Anthony Hayes, Writer of Gold
Gold is one of a slew of recent major screen productions to take advantage of South Australia’s unique outback red desert landscapes, following recently released Hollywood blockbuster Mortal Kombat, which shot in Coober Pedy, and BBC One, Stan, HBO Max and ZDF drama series The Tourist, currently shooting in the Flinders Ranges and at the SAFC’s Adelaide Studios with star Jamie Dornan. New AMC and See-Saw Films vampire series Firebite is also set to shoot in Coober Pedy and at Adelaide Studios soon.
Gold will screen in Australia on streaming service Stan after a cinema release through Madman Entertainment. Altitude Film Sales is handling foreign sales for the project.
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