Australian director Warwick Thornton is set to direct First Warrior, a film that tells the story of Pemulwuy, a legendary Aboriginal resistance leader who fought British colonizers in the late 1700s. The project, with an all-Indigenous core creative team, has attracted top-tier Australian actors Sam Worthington and Jason Clarke in lead roles, while the search continues for the actor to portray Pemulwuy.
Pemulwuy, a Bidjigal man of the Sydney tribes, became a symbol of resistance, leading a 12-year campaign to protect his people’s land during Australia’s colonization. Warwick Thornton, one of Australia’s most celebrated filmmakers, is no stranger to powerful storytelling, having won Cannes’ Camera d’Or with his 2009 debut Samson & Delilah and the Special Jury Prize at Venice for Sweet Country in 2017. His latest film, The New Boy, starring Cate Blanchett, premiered at Cannes last year.
Reflecting on his role in First Warrior, Thornton expressed his pride in being part of such a significant film, said, “I am so honored to be a part of this amazing film. It’s an important story with an awesome script and legendary actors.”
The film is being produced with the support of Bidjigal, Dharawal, and Dharug Elders, and boasts a stellar Indigenous team behind the scenes. Writer Jon Bell and writer-producer Andrew Dillon, a direct descendant of the Dharug and Gomeroi people, are key members of the creative team. Dillon, who will produce under his Indigenous-owned That’s-A-Wrap Productions banner, has long dreamed of bringing such stories to the big screen. He shared, “It has been a lifelong goal of mine to have our Indigenous warriors celebrated on the silver screen. I can’t wait for audiences to not only experience Warwick’s vision for this story, but to leave the cinema with a newfound appreciation of Australia’s shared history.”
The project is produced by Shana Levine and features the involvement of executive producer Phillip Noyce, while BAFTA-nominated screenwriter Stuart Beattie will serve as co-writer.
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