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Eliza Taylor stars in girls’ night out comedy.

Myriad Pictures has bulked up its AFM sales slate with worldwide rights to girls’ night out comedy It Only Takes A Night from A Touch of Madness Studios.

Eliza Taylor (The 100) stars in the film, styled as being in the vein of Bridget Jones’s Diary and Sex And The City, about four best friends on a wild night who end up on a path none of them expected and find it only takes one night to find true love.

Callan Durlik makes her feature directing debut and It Only Takes...

Six-part series Back to the Rafters, set to debut globally on Amazon Prime Video September 17, picks up six years on from when we last saw the Rafter family. Dave (Erik Thomson) and Julie (Rebecca Gibney) have created a new life in the country with youngest daughter Ruby (Willow Speers).

As everyone comes together in Sydney to celebrate Dave and Julie’s 35th Anniversary, history repeats and circumstances force them all to cram into Ben’s two-bedroom home – once again packed to the-you-know-what. During the visit it becomes apparent that the older Rafter children are facing new challenges with Ben (Hugh Sheridan) recently married to Cassie (HaiHa Le) and hoping to start a family, Nathan (Angus McLaren) trying to do it all as a single dad to Edward (Kaspar Frost) and Rachel (Georgina Haig) living a secret life in New York. Granddad Ted (Michael Caton) struggles to find his place, Julie...

(L-r) Hugh Sheridan, Georgina Haig and Angus McLaren.

Georgina Haig has replaced Jessica Marais in Seven Studios’ Back to the Rafters, and HaiHa Le, Libby Tanner, Rose Riley, Aaron McGrath and Bruce Spence are among new additions to the cast.

Among the other fresh faces in the Packed to the Rafters reboot are Willow Speers as Ruby Rafter and Kaspar Frost.

Willow had a supporting role in Cjz’s Rocky and Me commissioned by ABC Me and Screen Australia as part of the DisRupted program, .

Haig, whose credits include Secret Bridesmaids Business and the Us ABC network’s sci-fi series The Crossing, is playing Rachel Rafter after Marais withdrew.

The first Australian drama commissioned by Amazon, the Bevan Lee-created series is shooting in Sydney, produced by Chris-Martin Jones and directed by Jeremy Sims, Lynn Hegarty and Catherine Millar.

Amazon Prime also acquired the streaming rights to the original Seven Network...

Amazon has scheduled its first scripted Australian Amazon Original series, Back to the Rafters, which will launch on Prime Video in Australia and around the world. Production on the series is expected to start next year.

Back to the Rafters offers the next chapter in the story of the Rafter family, who appeared for six years in one of Australia’s most popular drama series, Packed to the Rafters. At its center were parents Dave and Julie, working to balance their own journey as a couple with the ups and downs of raising a family into adulthood.

Set to begin production in Sydney in 2020, Back to the Rafters is produced by Seven Studios and will feature original principal cast members Rebecca Gibney (Julie Rafter), Erik Thomson (Dave Rafter), Jessica Marais (Rachel Rafter), Hugh Sheridan (Ben Rafter), Angus McLaren (Nathan Rafter), Michael Caton (Ted Taylor) and George Houvardas (Nick “Carbo” Karandonis...

‘Packed to the Rafters.’

Seven Studios is preparing to revive Packed to the Rafters, the first Australian drama commission by Amazon Prime Video.

Bevan Lee, who created the family comedy-drama which ran for six seasons on the Seven Network, is overseeing the reboot which is in pre-production.

Katherine Thomson is among the writing team and there will potentially be three series, each six episodes, If understands.

Virtually all members of the original cast including Rebecca Gibney, Erik Thomson, Hugh Sheridan, Jessica Marais, Ryan Corr, Jessica McNamee, Angus McLaren and James Stewart are returning, If believes.

Yet to be announced, the deal for the new series which has the working title Back to the Rafters was first mooted in September.

Amazon Prime has also acquired the streaming rights to the original series which was produced by Jo Porter for Seven Productions. The two hour finale in 2013, which saw Dave and Julie...

‘It Chapter Two.’ (Photo credit: Warner Bros.)

Warner Bros/New Line’s It Chapter Two and Roadshow’s Chinese-American dramedy The Farewell gave the flagging Australian box office a much needed jolt last weekend while two new Oz releases struggled.

Kim Farrant’s psychological thriller Angel of Mine and Alan Lindsay’s romantic comedy The Naked Wanderer faced the same challenge which has bedeviled most Australian films this year: Opening on limited screens with minimal P&a, which means low visibility in the marketplace. So relying primarily on reviews, publicity and word of mouth is no guarantee to draw audiences.

Starring Noomi Rapace, Yvonne Strahovski, Annika Whiteley, Finn Little, Luke Evans, Richard Roxburgh and Rob Collins, Farrant’s follow-up to Strangerland grossed $26,000 on 42 screens and $43,000 including festival screenings for R&r Films.

As If reported, the movie co-funded by Screen Australia and Film Victoria has been sold by Fortitude International to...

‘The Naked Wanderer’

Alan Lindsay’s The Naked Wanderer, a romantic comedy starring Angus McLaren, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Megan Hajjar and John Cleese, will have its world premiere at CinefestOZ.

Scripted by Callan Durlik and backed by the Wa government’s Royalties for Regions program, the film shot on the state’s South West coast will premiere in Bunbury on August 30.

It’s the first film announced for the festival which will run from August 28 to September 1 in Bunbury, Busselton, Margaret River and surrounds.

McLaren plays Jake, who decides to walk 4,000 km up the coast of Western Australia, clad only in a loin cloth. His purpose ostensibly is to raise money for charity but his ulterior motive is to win back his former girlfriend Jasmine (Hajjar), who jilted him.

Durlik is his best mate Cameron King, whose uncle is UK-based media mogul Brian King (Cleese). Brian offers to sponsor the...

John Cleese on the set of ‘The Naked Wanderer’

When Callan Durlik wrote the character of a media mogul in romantic comedy The Naked Wanderer, he thought of John Cleese but doubted the Fawlty Towers star would be gettable.

With the enthusiasm of a first-time feature writer-producer, Durlik sent a synopsis to Cleese, who then asked to see the script.

Two days later Cleese was in. The Perth-based writer subsequently spent two days with the Englishman in his London office, workshopping lines and bouncing ideas.

He filmed all his scenes in London, playing Brian King, the uncle of Cameron King (Durlik), whose best mate Jake (Angus McLaren) decides to walk 4,000 km up the coast of Western Australia, clad only in a loin cloth.

Jake’s purpose ostensibly is to raise money for charity but his ulterior motive is to win back his former girlfriend Jasmine (Megan Hajjar), who jilted him.

Megan Hajjar in ‘M4M’

Since graduating from Waapa in 2016 Megan Hajjar has built an impressive resume with roles in Breath, Love Child, The Secret Daughter, Harrow and the upcoming movies M4M and The Naked Wanderer.

You may not recognise the name because, until recently, she was known as Megan Smart. The actor has decided to use Hajjar, her mother’s maiden name, to more closely identify with her Lebanese heritage.

“I wasn’t being considered for some Middle Eastern roles because the producers did not recognise my heritage,” she tells If.

While she does play a Lebanese woman in Paul Ireland’s M4M, she mostly portrays characters whose nationality is incidental. For example, she had fun playing a serial killer named Charlotte in the ABC/Hoodlum Entertainment’s Harrow and troublemaker Anna Hennessy in Screentime/Seven’s The Secret Daughter.

In Alan Lindsay’s romantic comedy The Naked Wanderer...

"Look, I don't think you understand. There's been an attack and we're not safe." Bleecker Street Media has released the full-length, official Us trailer for a true story thriller titled Hotel Mumbai, telling the story of the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel terrorist attack in Mumbai in 2008. The film is about the hotel staff who risk their own lives to keep everyone safe, as guests make unthinkable sacrifices to try and save themselves and their families. Dev Patel stars as Arjun, a newly promoted waiter who gets involved in the crossfire trying to rescue guests. The cast also includes Armie Hammer, Nazanin Boniadi, Jason Isaacs, Anupam Kher, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Angus McLaren, Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Rodney Afif, and Sachin Joab. This film first premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last year to mostly positive reviews. This looks frightening and intense, almost too real and too relevant to everything going on around the world nowadays.

We’ve got a new trailer to share with you for an intense-looking true story thriller called Hotel Mumbai.

The film tells the story of a terrorist attack that took place in 2008 at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. The focus will be put on the staff of the hotel as they risk their lives to keep their guests safe. This would be a crazy frightening situation to be in!

Dev Patel stars in the film as Arjun, who is a newly promoted waiter who finds himself neck deep in this terrorist attack. He will be joined by Armie Hammer, Nazanin Boniadi, Jason Isaacs, Anupam Kher, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Angus McLaren, Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Rodney Afif, and Sachin Joab. Here’s the synopsis:

Hotel Mumbai is based on the true story of the devastating terrorist attack on the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in 2008. The terrifying assault brings together the guests and the...

"Remember always: here at the Taj, guest is God" Icon Film Distribution has debuted a teaser trailer for a true story thriller titled Hotel Mumbai, telling the story of the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel terrorist attack in Mumbai in 2008. The film is about the hotel staff who risk their own lives to keep everyone safe, as guests make unthinkable sacrifices to try and save themselves and their families. Dev Patel stars as Arjun, a newly promoted waiter who gets involved in the crossfire. The full cast also includes Armie Hammer, Nazanin Boniadi, Jason Isaacs, Anupam Kher, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Angus McLaren, Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Rodney Afif, and Sachin Joab. This film premiered at the Toronto Film Festival earlier this fall, and received rave reviews, as quoted in this trailer. This is an intense first look, almost a bit too frightening. Here's the international teaser trailer (+ poster) for Anthony Maras' Hotel Mumbai,...

The male cast of ‘Fighting Season’ (Photo: Mark Rogers).

The casting directors of 1%, Breath, Sweet Country and The Merger are the finalists in the feature film category of the Casting Guild of Australia Awards.

The Cga has also announced the 10 winners of this year’s Rising Stars awards, who are nominated by Cga members and chosen by a committee comprising Kirsty McGregor, Nikki Barrett, Anousha Zarkesh, Tom McSweeney, Faith Martin and Nathan Lloyd.

The recipients are George Pullar (Fighting Season), Michael Sheasby (The Nightingale), Harry Greenwood (True History of the Kelly Gang), Tess Haubrich (Bad Mothers), Markella Kavenagh (The Cry), George Zhao (The Family Law), Milly Alcock (Upright), Kimie Tsukakoshi (The Bureau of Magical Things), Harvey Zielinski and Alexandra Jensen.

McSweeney tells If: “I’ve watched Kimie grow as a performer over the past decade from a kid with a fantastic singing voice to an actress of conviction, dedication and positivity.

‘In Like Flynn.’

Robert Slaviero has joined Umbrella Entertainment as head of sales as the distributor continues its commitment to release a sizable slate of Australian feature films and documentaries.

While some distributors have largely shied away from handling local films Umbrella is keeping the faith with three titles scheduled to open in October and eight on the slate for 2019.

“We like working with people who are passionate about their work and who have a commercial sensibility,” Umbrella MD Jeff Harrison tells If, pointing to collaborators including Causeway Films’ Kristina Ceyton and Sam Jennings, Catherine Scott, Carver Films’ Sarah Shaw and Anna McLeish, Paul Ireland and Damian Hill, Steve Jaggi and Justin Dix. “We are very happy with what we’re doing.”

Head of acquisitions Ari Harrison says the firm evaluates up to 50 scripts at any one time and he laments the shortage of projects aimed at older females. “People...

Australia.s highest-rated TV drama series Packed To The Rafters is back to claim its crown.

The Seven series, which last year averaged 1.8 million viewers, returns next week with another 22 episodes.

It.s the nation.s favourite drama, having netted Best Australian Drama at the last three Logie Awards. Two weeks ago it also took out the Audience Choice Award for Best TV Program at the inaugural Aacta Awards.

Series producer Chris Martin-Jones, who occasionally sits in the director.s chair, puts the show's success down to it being so relatable. The drama focuses on the Rafter family . a family, which, like any, faces pressures of life and love while dealing with serious social issues.

.They can see the characters in their own lives. They can see the situation the character.s in,. Martin-Jones says from his Sydney office.

He says tackling serious issues such as abortion, drug abuse and...

Angus McLaren is believed to be leaving Packed to the Rafters. The 23-year-old Australian actor, who plays lead character Nathan Rafter in the Seven Network family drama, is believed to be exiting the show halfway through the upcoming season. According to The Daily Telegraph, part-time musician McLaren is hoping to work on his music during the "extended leave". He is the drummer in band Ballet Imperial, while his older brother Aidan is a drummer in rock group Long Walk Home. Last year, McLaren's on-screen siblings Jessica Marais and Hugh Sheridan both left Packed to the Rafters, along with regulars Zoe Ventoura and Jess McNamee. After his departure, Rebecca Gibney, Michael Caton and Erik (more)...

Brooke Satchwell has been revealed as the latest addition to the cast of Packed to the Rafters. The 30-year-old Australian actress, who used to play Anne Wilkinson alongside Jesse Spencer's Billy Kennedy in Neighbours, has spent the past few weeks filming a "guest role" for the Rebecca Gibney family TV drama. An industry insider told The Daily Telegraph: "She's a lovely girl and talented - she will play a main part." They also revealed that it was "too early" to give details about the character Satchwell will play. It is believed that Satchwell has been brought in to fill the void left by the departures of Jessica Marais, who played Rachel Rafter, and Zoe Ventoura, whose character Mel Rafter was killed off last year. It is also rumoured that cast members Hugh Sheridan and Angus McLaren (more)...

A cast member from Packed To The Rafters has suggested that he might be leaving the show. Angus McLaren, who plays Nathan Rafter in the Australian television series, is believed to be looking at other roles after revealing that he will "look back" on the show fondly. McLaren told The Daily Telegraph that he would "hopefully look back on Rafters (more)...

Universal Pictures Australia and the Seven Network have sent us copies of Packed to the Rafters-The Complete Season 2 – available from November 3.

Relive the second series of Seven’s highly successful drama and watch the Rafter family deal with the challenges of young marriage, the arrival of Dave’s birth mother Chel, and the unplanned but welcome addition of a new baby. Starring Rebecca Gibney, Erik Thomson, Michael Caton, Jessica Marais, Hugh Sheridan, Angus McLaren, Zoe Ventoura, Jessica McNamee, George Houvardas and Gillian Jones.

To win, email miguel@focalattractions.com.au and tell us, what do you like the most about Packed to the Rafters?...

The cast of Packed to the Rafters have revealed that having a baby on set makes them broody. The stars of the Australian television show, which returned to screens for a third season earlier this week, said that the "energy" on set has changed since twin girls arrived to play Ruby, the newest addition to the Rafter family. Jessica Marais, who plays elder daughter Rachel, told New Idea magazine: "It makes everyone much more quiet and careful. There is a really nurturing energy that comes from people when they are around new life. Every time we get a smile everyone melts." Angus McLaren, the actor who plays (more)...

The fantasies of Nathan Rafter get Seven into trouble.

An episode of Packed to the Rafters last year has been slapped by the industry watchdog for its sexy scenes.

The Australian Media and Communications Authority has upheld a complaint and deemed the scenes inappropriate for the PG rating given by Channel Seven.

In the episode, Nathan (Angus McLaren) was dealing with a tempting work colleague whose pursuit of him was playing on his mind. One scene discreetly filmed him fantasising while masturbating. When Sammy (More >>...

The co-creator of Packed to the Rafters has apologised to viewers offended by Tuesday night's episode, which featured sexually-themed fantasy sequences and a masturbation scene. Bevan Lee said he was surprised at the reaction to Tuesday night's instalment and added the episode was intended as a "cautionary tale" to highlight that "blurring the line between fantasy, desire and real action can lead to wrong and potentially disastrous choices". "Nathan (Angus McLaren) chooses to betray his wife, but it is made quite clear it is the wrong choice and (more)...