eOne, Seville & Screen Aust announce Rachel Ward/Bryan Brown movie Palm Beach

Entertainment One (eOne), Seville International and Screen Australia in association with Create NSW have announced that Bryan Brown (Sweet Country, Cocktail, Gorillas in the Mist), Sam Neill (Sweet Country, The Piano, Jurassic Park), Greta Scacchi (Rasputin, Looking for Alibrandi, War and Peace) and Jacqueline McKenzie (The 4400, Mental, Romper Stomper) will star in Palm Beach, a new feature film written by Joanna Murray-Smith to be directed by critically acclaimed filmmaker Rachel Ward.

eOne will distribute the film in Australia and New Zealand, with its boutique sales outfit Seville International handling worldwide sales.

Produced by Bryan Brown for New Town Films and Deb Balderstone for Soapbox Industries, Palm Beach is a drama/comedy about a group of lifelong friends reuniting to celebrate a special birthday, with Sydney’s iconic Palm Beach providing a stunning backdrop for the unfolding drama. The good times roll, with loads of laughter, lavish meals, flowing wine and fantastic music, but slowly tensions mount and deep secrets arise.

Palm Beach is a New Town Films and Soapbox Industries production with principal production investment from Screen Australia, in association with Create NSW and Spectrum Films and with support from Destination NSW.

Joanna Murray-Smith is an award-winning playwright, novelist and screenwriter. Her plays have been produced around the world including productions of Honour on Broadway and in London (both at the National Theatre and in the West End) and she has also published three novels “Truce”, “Judgement Rock” and “Sunnyside”.

Rachel Ward adapted and directed her first feature film Beautiful Kate in 2009, starring Ben Mendelsohn, Rachel Griffiths and Bryan Brown. In her former life as an actress, Rachel Ward was the recipient of several international awards and nominations, which include two Golden Globe nominations.