Producer Liz Watts is calling David Michod’s new film The Rover “a dirty and dangerous near-future western set in the Australian desert”.
She confirmed what the Internet is buzzing about: that Guy Pearce and Twilight heartthrob Robert Pattinson are in discussions to play, respectively, a man in pursuit of the people who stole his car and the brother of one of the thieves in Michod's follow-up to Animal Kingdom.
Reluctantly, Watts also added a few more details: it is hoped that The Rover will go into production late in the year and discussions about the project started 18 months ago between Michod and US producer David Linde.
Last year Linde opened the production and financing outfit Lava Bear Films with backing from Reliance Entertainment. At the time the company announced it had a first-look deal with Universal Pictures for the US and other significant international territories. Linde was, at one time, co-chair of Universal.
Linde is producing with Watts of Porchlight Films and Lava Bear president Tory Metzger will also be prominent in the credits.
Watts said that Libby Sharpe will act as line producer and the intention was to claim the producer offset.
Michod wrote the script based on an idea dreamt up by he and Joel Edgerton, one of Michod’s six partners in the Sydney-based film collective Blue-Tongue Films.