Rowan Woods has been attached to direct an all-star cast in a new telemovie for the ABC, called Blood in the Sand.
Written by Ian David (Blue Murder, Joh’s Jury, The Shark Net), Blood in the Sand is a true crime story which explores the relationship between violent behaviour and creative responsibility.
Set in the late 1920s and early 1930s Blood in the Sand stars Robert Menzies (Three Dollars) as Arthur Upfield, crime writer and rabbit proof fence repairer, who plots the perfect murder for his fictional super sleuth Napolean Bonaparte, however Upfield has no idea of the power of his imagination.
Friend and trapper Snowy Rowles, played by Luke Ford (The Black Balloon, Kokoda, Junction Boys) decides to put Upfield’s fantasy into practice, killing three men before the book, The Sands of Windee, is published.
Rowles was eventually captured by the real life super sleuth, Detective Harry Manning, played by Nicholas Hope (Bad Boy Bubby), and died in 1932 at the hands of an executioner. For Upfield, however, the widespread publicity of the case gave him instant fame and recognition, catapulting his crime thrillers onto best seller lists around the world.
Blood in the Sand also features AFI award-winning actress Emma Booth (Clubland), Bille Brown (Fierce Creatures, The Dish, Oscar & Lucinda) and Anni Finsterer (All Saints).
ABC TV’s Head of Drama, Miranda Dear said “I’m thrilled to have Ian David working with the ABC again. This is such a talented team bringing an extraordinary true crime story to the screen and we’re enjoying once again working with ScreenWest.”
Directed by Rowan Woods (The Boys, Little Fish), Blood in the Sand will be filmed over five weeks in regional Western Australia and in Perth
Blood in the Sand is a Taylor Media Production, developed and produced in association with ABC TV, ScreenWest and Lotterywest. Filming will begin in Perth
[release from ABC WA]