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Miranda Otto on board for ‘Dance Academy: The Movie’

Miranda Otto on set of Dance Academy: The Movie at Sydney Opera House. (Photo: Simon Cardwell).

Miranda Otto (The Lord of The Rings, The Daughter, The Thin Red Line, Homeland) has joined the cast of Dance Academy: The Movie, which is currently shooting in Sydney before production moves to New York.

Otto will star in the role of artistic director of the National Ballet Company, Madeline Moncur, responsible for the new direction of the Company and choreographing its new works.

She joins previously announced cast members including Xenia Goodwin, Dena Kaplan, Thomas Lacey, Jordan Rodrigues, Alicia Banit, Keiynan Lonsdale, Tara Morice and Nic Westaway.

“Miranda Otto is one of my favourite actors on the planet. I can think of no greater artistic director – she is glitteringly beautiful, formidable but also brings a wonderful humanity to this key role,” said creator and writer Samantha Strauss.

Otto already has some connections with Dance Academy and its cast. In season one of the original television series, Otto’s husband Peter O’Brien played one the National Ballet Company’s most prominent choreographers, Sebastian Karamakov. In the third season, her father Barry Otto played the role of artistic director.

In 1998, fellow cast member Alicia Banit also played the role of the young Miranda Otto character in Dead Letter Office.

Dance Academy has an amazing pedigree both in Australia and internationally and in a way I feel I have been part of the Dance Academy family since its very beginnings so I am thrilled to formally join the Company!” said Otto.

Executive producer Joanna Werner said: "We are delighted to have Miranda Otto join the cast of Dance Academy: The Movie. Miranda is an incredible actress who will bring so much to the role of Madeline and our cast are so excited to be working with her."  

Yesterday StudioCanal announced Dance Academy: The Movie was due for relase March 23, 2017