Thomas M. Wright (Acute Misfortune) is prepping crime thriller shoot, The Unknown Man, with Joel Edgerton (The Great Gatsby, Boy Erased) and Sean Harris (The King, Mission Impossible: Fallout, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation) set to star. South Australian Premiere Steven Marshall’s office made the announcement on Monday with confirmation of the film’s location shoot in the region following production wrap on Warner Bros. Mortal Kombat from director Simon McQuoid.
Introduced to this year’s EFM in Berlin, The Unknown Man centers on “two strangers who meet and strike up a friendship. But what one does not know is that the other man is a veteran undercover police officer working to secure a conviction for an unsolved murder committed years earlier.” The film has major backing by Screen Australia with support from the South Australian Film Corporation, with principal photography dates to be announced in due time as industries around the world struggle to cope with the global COVID-19.
Wright is also known for known for his own screen performances in Jane Campion’s BBC TV drama, Top Of The Lake, and Warwick Thornton’s SAFC-backed 2017 Western drama, Sweet Country. He makes his sophomore outing in the director’s chair for The Unknown Man, which hails from See-Saw Films (Lion, Tracks, Oscar-winner The King’s Speech) and Anonymous Content (Golden Globe-nominated Boy Erased, Oscar-winner Spotlight).
Edgerton is producing alongside See-Saw’s Emile Sherman, Iain Canning and Rachel Gardner, and with Kerry Roberts and Kim Hodgert from Anonymous Content.
“Following hot on the heels of Mortal Kombat, the biggest screen production in the state’s history, The Unknown Man further cements South Australia’s reputation as a premier destination for major screen productions,” says Minister Pisoni, Minister for Innovation and Skills.
“Securing such a significant feature film for South Australia is a testament to our fantastic locations, outstanding crews, and internationally renowned ability to deliver world class projects.
“Whilst there is no doubt that the impacts of COVID-19 have created significant challenges for businesses and practitioners in the South Australian screen industry, we are actively investing in the recovery of the sector, looking forward to major projects like this providing a much needed kickstart to screen production activity in the state,” Minister Pisoni said.
“This is a challenging time for our industry, particularly for crew, but we are gearing up to move straight into production on The Unknown Man, which will be shooting in and around Adelaide, as soon as is practicable”, says producer Rachel Gardner.
CEO of the South Australian Film Corporation Kate Croser adds, “We are delighted to welcome See Saw Films back to South Australia withThe Unknown Man after they previously embraced our locations and talent with their stunning production of Tracks in 2013.
“Such a major production presents significant opportunities for South Australian crew and screen service providers from right across the sector, and the SAFC is working closely with producers to ensure the best outcomes for our local talent.
“With South Australia’s screen sector currently facing unprecedented challenges due to the Covid-19 emergency, the SAFC continues to work hard behind the scenes to create a strong pipeline of production to secure the future of the sector, and get our crews and facilities ready to bounce back to work as soon as possible.”