The road to Hollywood begins in unlikely places. Like Gumly Oval, which will launch the Farrer League season in a blaze of excitement on Saturday, when filming begins on a new movie set in Wagga.
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As East Wagga-Kooringal and Coleambally prepare for a grand final rematch, the crew for Chasing Comets will begin seven days of shooting in and around Wagga.
Written and produced by former rugby league international, Jason Stevens, Chasing Comets is a comedy drama touching on the battlelines between Australian rules and rugby league.
“We’re going to have a massive week,” Stevens said.
“We’re there from Saturday to Thursday, obviously at the oval, and we’re definitely going down to the Murrumbidgee River. We’ll be shooting bits and pieces all around town.”
The cast includes Isabel Lucas and Dan Ewing in the lead roles as well as Havana Brown, Rhys Muldoon, Justin Melvey, George Houvardas, Kat Hoyos, Stan Walker and former footballers Beau Ryan and Brendan Fevola.
EWK president Steve Absolum said the Hawks are only too happy to have the movie crew at Gumly.
“You want to be a good community club, and we’re more than happy to help out,” Absolum said.
“Publicity is always good if it helps promote our club and country footy… and some of our ressies might feature in the movie.”
Stevens confirmed there will be an opportunity for locals to feature later in the week.
“We’re looking for some extras to play AFL in (actor) Stan Walker’s team,” Stevens said.
“Stan’s a Kiwi who’s turned his back on league and is playing AFL.
“That’ll be half-a-day probably on Thursday.”
A former NSW and Australia prop who played 232 games for St George and Cronulla, Stevens chose Wagga for his first film due to its fierce sporting rivalry.
“It’s set against the backdrop of AFL and league, which is why Wagga was unique in the fact that it’s a hotly-contested area for both codes,” he said.
“We’ve got two characters – Justin Melvey from Days Of Our Lives, he’s a rugby league man. And his brother Rhys Muldoon, from House Husbands, he’s an AFL man. He’s the coach of the Hawks – and they’re at each other constantly about the superior code.”
“And we bring up a lot of the legends that come from Wagga, on both sides of the coin.”
It’s not the first feature film set in Wagga and Stevens declared he’s a fan of the 2013 hit Backyard Ashes.
“I loved Backyard Ashes, I thought they did a great job,” he said. “I know they couldn’t have done it without the support of the community, and that’s going to be the same for us really.”
Chasing Comets is expected to be in cinemas in spring.
- If you’re interested in appearing as an extra on Thursday, email alex@alleywayproductions.com
