South Australian indie creature feature Dropbear has officially been completed and delivered to LA-based distributor ITN Studios, with a worldwide release slated for later this year.
Directed, written and produced by John deCaux, the survival horror-comedy transforms the mythical marsupial menace into a bloodthirsty big-screen terror.
For decades, Australians have jokingly warned tourists to beware of ‘drop bears’: vicious, koala-like predators that allegedly ambush unsuspecting backpackers from treetops. It’s a hoax that’s become folklore, but in Dropbear, the joke spirals into a gory reality.
‘Every Aussie has, at some point, enjoyed telling a tourist that to survive, they’ll have to smear Vegemite behind their ears so the “drop bears” won’t smell them,’ said deCaux. ‘Making a film that turns that joke on its head and then rips it to pieces was irresistible’.
Set deep in the outback, the film follows a group of clueless American tourists on a dodgy bush tour led by two bumbling grifters. Their fake ‘drop bear encounter’ prank goes south when it unleashes an actual chlamydia-ridden army of ravenous koalas led by a monstrous apex predator – the so-called Koala King.
The press release emphasised that the film’s fast-tracked production was made possible by a combination of South Australian resources, including gear rental (Equip-it Gear), production (Six Foot Four Productions), studio facilities (Star Avenue Studios), post (Pulsar Post), and visual effects (Australis FX).
The film was completed in just four months.
‘Usually, you’d cut your teeth on shorts for years before a studio feature is even on the horizon,’ said Associate Producer Jackson Johns. ‘Dropbear gave me my first U.S. producing credit straight out of uni, and many of us have already moved onto other paid projects.’
Industry watchers have drawn comparisons between this SA-based model and Peter Jackson’s vertically integrated Wellington empire, with some calling deCaux’s approach a proof-of-concept for sustainable genre filmmaking outside Australia’s east coast hubs.
A major portion of the film’s VFX budget was funded by the City of Port Adelaide Enfield’s Arts & Culture Grant, allowing Australis FX to bring on emerging local artists who are now being tapped for other international projects.
Dropbear is the first in a three-picture deal between Six Foot Four Productions and ITN Studios, with a sequel already in early development and production likely to begin later this year.
Who’s behind Dropbear?
The main cast of Dropbear consists of Conner Pullinger, Jessica Burgess, Adam Ovadia, Caymond, Kieren McNamara, Lucas Andrews, and Yoz Mensch as the Koala King.
Six Foot Four Productions is producing, with John deCaux also producing, writing and directing. Stuart Alson and Nicole Holland serve as executive producers, with Jackson Johns as associate producer. Production design is by Shannyn McKay. James Gleeson served as editor, with music composed by Bill Palmer.
Dropbear is out in cinemas later this year.
