Camelot Distribution Group has secured worldwide rights to $25 million Australian WWI film The 34th Battalion.
The announcement was made last month in the US but only recently publicised in Australia as the film nears making a casting announcement. The World War I epic is expected to begin principal photography in the next six months and form part of Camelor's 2013 release slate.
The film has been written by Queensland-based father and son team, Luke and Ian Spark, and will mark Luke's feature film directorial debut.
"My aim with The 34th Battalion is to raise the bar on first World War films, and I am proud to have a fantastic Australian crew from The Pacific, X-Men, The Great Raid and other local war-based productions," Luke Sparke said in a statement. "Closing in on the 100th anniversary, we are very aware of the responsibility in telling this story as accurate as we can without pulling any punches: It's going to be big, loud and a rollercoaster ride of emotions."
The 34th Battalion tells the story of four friends, who, after two years of leaving their families to immerse themselves in the unruly hardships of war, struggle with the horror that grows inside of them as they must overcome weakness and find strength in their loved ones in order to strike one last time against the German Army.
Contact this reporter at bswift@www.if.com.au or on Twitter at @bcswift.