Newcastle actor and producer Zac Garred is back on home turf to promote his new movie Bring Him To Me - and bring a decade-long movie dream to life.
He (excitedly) gave the Newcastle Herald the scoop this week that he was finally in the process of making a movie about The Maitland Wonder himself, boxer Les Darcy, having secured the film rights to Peter FitzSimons' book The Ballad of Les Darcy in 2013.
But first, Bring Him To Me, starring Sam Neill, Rachel Griffiths and Barry Pepper. Garred acts in, and co-produced, the action-packed thriller which makes its Newcastle debut at a special screening and Q&A at Reading Cinemas Charlestown on Friday night.
Garred, who grew up in New Lambton and has lived in Los Angeles for the past 10 years, is grateful to have been granted permission by the Screen Actors Guild to promote Bring Him To Me in Australia while the strike remains ongoing.
"I read another review from a discerning critic last night and they're describing it as atmospheric, tense, thrilling, a dark movie - I'm really pleased with that," he said.
"People are loving Sam [Neill] in it. He plays a very violent and scary man. He was the son of Satan in the third Omen movie, but even then he had that cold, Dorian Gray charming quality. In this movie he's a malicious, violent and scary man - and he's my father.
"I'm the ambitious, impatient son and he's the domineering, threatening gangster. I'm a co-producer as well, so I was working in front of the camera and then jumping behind to help bring the film together."
Bring Him To Me opens in the US on January 19. At Friday night's premiere in Charlestown, Garred will watch the film with, and then take questions from, the audience. Tickets to the 6pm special screening are on sale now at readingcinemas.com.au.
To read more about Garred's other project, The Ballad of Les Darcy, the film he's making with childhood friend and filmmaker Tom Arthur and acclaimed director Bruce Beresford, grab a copy of Saturday's Herald. He also talks about the actors' strike in Hollywood, his wedding plans and more.
