Shane Jacobson, Saran Snook, Alan Tudyk, Deborah Mailman and a dog named Meeko head the cast of Oddball, a comedy which starts shooting in Melbourne and country Victoria on Monday.
Based on a true story, the film features Jacobson as Swampy Marsh, an eccentric chicken farmer who, helped by his granddaughter, trains his mischievous dog Oddball to protect a wild penguin sanctuary from fox attacks.
In the process he reunites his family and saves their seaside town.
The director is Stuart McDonald (Summer Heights High, Super Fun Night), replacing the originally announced Clayton Jacobson who left the project a couple of week ago.
The cast includes Sarah Snook (These Final Hours, Not Suitable For Children), Alan Tudyk (I, Robot, Serenity, Frozen, Knocked Up), Coco Gillies (Maya the Bee Movie), Richard Davies (Offspring, Howzat! Kerry Packer’s War), Deborah Mailman (The Sapphires, Bran Nue Dae, Offspring), Frank Woodley (Kath & Kimderella, The Adventures of Lano & Woodley), and Meeko as Oddball.
The producers are WTFN/The Film Company’s Richard Keddie, Sheila Hanahan Taylor and Steve Kearney. The script was credited to Peter Ivan when Screen Australia announced its investment in the project.
Roadshow will release in Australia and Global Screen is handling international sales. The investors include Film Victoria and Fox International Channels.
Animal trainer Luke Hura (Red Dog) discovered Meeko at the Maremma Rescue Society. The film will also feature little blue penguins recruited from Sea World. The seven week shoot takes place in Melbourne and Warrnambool.