Paul Kelly song How to Make Gravy to be adapted into a Christmas film

Just add flour, salt, a little red wine, and don’t forget a dollop of tomato sauce … Paul Kelly song How to Make Gravy to become a film. Photograph: Daniel Boud/Cybele Malinowski

Paul Kelly’s How to Make Gravy, a much-loved Australian song about a man in prison writing home to his brother at Christmas time, is to be adapted into a film.

Variety reported on Thursday that Warner Bros Australia, with Speech & Drama Pictures – run by Australian musician Megan Washington and screenwriter and director Nick Waterman – has acquired the exclusive international film rights to the song.