19/06/2013 - Casting underway on ‘Ozploitation’ film

British director Brian Trenchard-Smith (photo), who has a cult following for his Australian action and horror films including Turkey Shoot and Dead End Drive In, will direct UK-Australian co-production Weekend Warriors, set in a remote forest valley where an inexperienced junior officer must save his men and his brother from his battle hardened psychopathic former mentor hell bent on revenge.

The UK’s Stealth Media Group’s production arm The Spice Factory will produce alongside Australia’s David Hannay Productions (DHP) and its associated company Vincero Productions with Stealth Australia. The writer is DHP head of development Trevor Howis and he also produces alongside Michael Cowan, Jason Piette and David Hannay.

The companies describe the film as being in the ‘Ozploitation’ genre, or Australian (Oz) exploitation, a riff on ‘Blaxplotation’. It’s a term that Quentin Tarantino coined to describe Trenchard-Smith’s work. Tarantino has been a long time fan of Trenchard-Smith and dedicated the Australian premiere of Kill Bill to him.

Hannay said on working with Trenchard-Smith, “We worked together at Nine in the early seventies, then at Greater Union, and at David Hannay Productions. Our work together includes The Marty Feldman Show, The Spoiler, The Making Of Stone, Kung Fu Killers, The Man From Hong Kong, and Out Of The Body.”

Casting is underway with Maura Fay Casting (MFC). DHP and MFC previously worked together on Gross Misconduct, in which Naomi Watts had her first lead role.