Rose Riley in ‘Book Week’ (Photo: Sie Kitts).
Rose Riley and Rhys Muldoon have joined the cast of Book Week, writer-director Heath Davis’ black comedy which is shooting in the Blue Mountains.
Alan Dukes plays the lead Nicholas Cutler, a smart yet self-destructive, once famous novelist who teaches English at a working class high school.
After he writes a trashy zombie story a publisher is willing to give him a second chance as long as he cleans up his act, but chaos ensues.
Rose (The Death and Life of Otto Bloom, Secret City) plays Melanie, a precocious senior student and budding author who is Cutler’s nemesis.
Muldoon (House Husbands, Rake) is Blake, his best mate, agent and long-suffering confidante who lives vicariously through Cutler and craves the red carpet and parties.
The cast includes Susan Prior as Cutler’s head teacher and casual lover, Airlie Dodds as a prac teacher with whom he forms an unlikely friendship, Toby Schmitz as a publisher, Nicholas Hope as Cutler’s disapproving father as well as Khan Chittenden, Steve Bastoni, Tiriel Mora, Steve Le Marquand, Matilda Ridgeway and Vanessa Buckley.
Given the budget of less than $500,000 and a tight shooting schedule Davis is delighted with what he’s seeing.
“It’s a challenge as always on this budget when you are short on time and money. We have a great cast and crew, going above and beyond,” he tells IF. “I watched the assembly of the scenes thus far on our day off and am very happy. Nothing good ever comes easy.”
Davis is producing with Fergus Grady, the former head of acquisitions at Umbrella Entertainment. Jonathan Page, Julia Scales, Anne Robinson and Josh Pomeranz are the EPs.
Bonsai Films is the Australian distributor and Odin’s Eye Entertainment will handle international sales.