The release date for “Force of Nature: The Dry 2” has been pushed back in Australia and New Zealand.
The follow-up to the record-breaking Australian film “The Dry” was due to hit local cinemas on Aug.24, however the ongoing strike action in the U.S. has altered the schedule.
The film’s main star, Eric Bana, who also produces the film via Pick Up Truck Pictures, said the decision was made with “some regret, but a large amount of conviction”.
“I’m incredibly proud of this much-anticipated Australian film and want to be able to do it justice by promoting it thoroughly. Due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, of which I am a long-standing member, it is not possible to do that at this time,” he said in a statement.
“Just as we did with “The Dry”, our plan is to be face-to-face with the cinema going public, through event screenings, Q&A’s, and press appearances at the time of release. I stand in support of the changes that SAG-AFTRA are fighting for on behalf of all working actors. I apologise for any inconvenience it causes anyone who has pre purchased tickets to our already sold-out Q&A sessions. Thanks for your understanding. See you at a cinema soon.”
The film’s distributor, Roadshow Films, said the decision was made in consultation with the filmmakers Arenamedia, Made Up Stories and Bana’s Pick Up Truck Pictures, and that a new release date would be announced soon.
The plot of the film is based on Jane Harper’s novel “Force of Nature”, and focuses on five women who take part in a corporate hiking retreat, with only four emerging out the other side. Federal agents Falk and Carmen Cooper then head deep into the Victorian mountain ranges to investigate in the hopes of finding their whistle-blowing informant, Alice Russell, alive.
Bana returns as Aaron Falk, while Jeremy Lindsay-Taylor will also reprise his role as father Erik Falk.
The new film will also star Anna Torv (“The Last of Us”), Deborra-lee Furness (“Jindabyne”), Robin McLeavy (“Homeland”), Sisi Stringer (“Mortal Kombat”), Lucy Ansell (“Utopia”), Jacqueline McKenzie (“Romper Stomper”), Tony Briggs (“Cleverman”), Kenneth Radley (“The Power of the Dog”) and Richard Roxburgh (“Rake”).
