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Miranda Richardson brings an English touch of class to ‘Rams’

‘Miranda Richardson.’

Miranda Richardson is joining Sam Neill and Michael Caton in Jeremy Sims’ Rams, a re-imagining of Icelandic drama Hrútar, which is now shooting in Mt Barker in WA’s Great Southern region.

The Oscar-nominated (Tom & Viv, Damage) and BAFTA-winning (Damage) actress is playing Kat, an expat Brit who works as the veterinarian in a sheep farming town that is overcome by a rare ovine disease.

Neill and Caton star as estranged brothers who live on adjoining farms but haven’t spoken to each other for 40 years. The brothers are forced to find a way to work together to save their flock and their family’s legacy when their sheep and their small town are threatened.

Sims said: “I am thrilled that Ms Richardson is able to join us in telling our version of this beautiful saga about warring brothers. I’ve been a fan forever, from Queenie to Stronger, and fought hard to bring her out here to play Kat and complement our awesome local cast.”

Richardson has focused on TV in the past couple of years with roles in the Sky One drama Curfew, ITV’s Girlfriends and Amazon TV’s Good Omens.

Her extensive film credits include Empire of the Sun, Sleepy Hollow, The Crying Game, The Hours, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, The Young Victoria and Made in Dagenham.

Produced by WBMC’s Janelle Landers and Aidan O’Bryan, the film is scripted by Jules Duncan, adapted from writer-director Grímur Hákonarson’s Hrútar, which won the Un Certain Regard Award at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.

The supporting cast includes Wayne Blair, Leon Ford, Travis McMahon, Asher Keddie, Hayley McElhinney, Kipan Rothbury and two newcomers, 17-year-old Asher Yasbincek and WAAPA graduate Will McNeill.

Rams has received major investment from Screen Australia in association with Screenwest and the Western Australian Regional Film Fund. Roadshow Films will distribute in Australia/ New Zealand with worldwide sales handled by UK-based WestEnd Films.