Warwick Thornton To Direct Film About Aboriginal Resistance Fighter

Leading Australian filmmaker Warwick Thornton has signed on to direct First Warrior, an epic feature about the Aboriginal resistance fighter Pemulwuy. The film will feature Aussie stars Sam Worthington (Avatar, Hacksaw Ridge) and Jason Clarke (Oppenheimer, Zero Dark Thirty) in lead roles, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

A search is currently underway to cast the role of Pemulwuy.

Pemulwuy, a Bidjigal man from the Sydney tribes, led a 12-year resistance against British settlers in the late 1700s as they colonized his people’s lands.

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Thornton, one of Australia’s most respected directors, gained international recognition in 2009 when his film Samson & Delilah won the Camera d’Or prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

First Warrior is being developed with the support of Bidjigal, Dharawal, and Dharug Elders. The project is led by an all-Indigenous core creative team, including Thornton, writer Jon Bell (The Moogai, Cleverman), and writer-producer Andrew Dillon (Le Champion, Outliers). Dillon, a descendant of the Dharug and Gomeroi people, will produce the film through his Indigenous-owned company, That’s-A-Wrap Productions.

“I am so honored to be a part of this amazing film. It’s an important story with an awesome script and legendary actors,” said Thornton in a statement as per The Hollywood Reporter.

“It has been a lifelong goal of mine to have our Indigenous warriors celebrated on the silver screen. I can’t wait for audiences to not only experience Warwick’s vision for this story, but to leave the cinema with a newfound appreciation of Australia’s shared history,” added Dillon.

The script is being penned by a star-studded Aussie team, including BAFTA-nominated Stuart Beattie (Collateral, Pirates of the Caribbean) and Phillip Noyce (Rabbit-Proof Fence, Salt), alongside Shana Levine (The Portable Door, Charlie & Boots)