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Synopsis

When JR (Brenton Thwaites) is sent to prison for a minor crime, he becomes the apprentice to Brendan Lynch (Ewan McGregor), Australia’s public enemy number one. When JR helps Brendan break out, they go on the run and form a complex co-dependent relationship. JR quickly learns in the criminal world, life is like a game of chess. To gain control, you have to stay a few moves ahead of your opponent. Lose that control, and you risk becoming a pawn in their very dangerous game.

Photo credit David Dare Parker

Watch the trailer

Production Information

Writer & Director

Julius Avery

Producers

Timothy White

Co-Producer

Janelle Landers

Executive Producers

John Collee

Bryce Menzies

Key Cast

Ewan McGregor
Brenton Thwaites
Alicia Vikander
Jacek Koman
Matt Nable
Tom Budge
Eddie Baroo
Nash Edgerton
Damon Herriman

Distributor

Hopscotch Films (ANZ)

Key Locations

Fremantle

Kalgoorlie

Rottnest

Director of Photography

Nigel Bluck

Editor

Jack Hutchings

Production Designer

Fiona Crombie

Costume Designer

Terri Lamera

Composer

Jed Kurtzel

First Assistant Director

Chris Webb

Second Unit Director

Michael Spiccia

Art Director

Sophie Nash

Makeup and Hair Designer

Wendy De Waal

Production Coordinator

Kelly Vincent

Sound Recordist

Trevor Hope

Post Production Sound Facility

Deluxe Stage One Sound

A Location-based aesthetic

“Julius and I had a drive around early in pre production and we were both drawn to the same sorts of architecture.”

“The first location we found was the Truck Stop and for me it sums up the look that I was going for in the film – a graphic cream brick block sitting in a car park on the edge of an expanse of sand and surrounded by cyclone fencing. We were drawn to the industrial shapes around Fremantle; the fantastic overpasses that lead to the beach, the container stacks. I was really drawn to brutalist, blunt shapes framed against the blue sky.”

– Fiona Crombie, Production Designer

Photo credit David Dare Parker
Ewan McGregor as Brendan shoots his way out of mine site.
Photo credit David Dare Parker
Matt Nable as Sterlo, Ewan McGregor as Brendan Lynch and Eddie Baroo as Merv.

From Tatooine to Western Australia

“The whole of Western Australia”

“I had never been before and I was really impressed by it. Kalgoorlie is dominated by the mining industry of course so the landscape is peppered with these massive pits; they were quite amazing to see, I mean just the scale of them. It’s always nice with this job, it takes you places and you see parts of the world you might not otherwise see. I like working here, I like the Australian crews very much, and it was nice to work in Perth. Another place we went was Rottnest Island, which is spectacularly beautiful. I saw the most amazing sunset of my life there.”

– Ewan McGregor, Lead Actor (Brendan)

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Acknowledgement of Country

Screenwest acknowledges and pays respect to all Traditional Owners of Country across the State of Western Australia and their Elders, past, present and emerging. We recognise and respect their cultural heritage, spiritual beliefs and relationship to land and waters and acknowledge that they are of continuing importance to the people living today. We extend this respect to all Indigenous language groups.