If the plethora of meat ads are anything to go by, not to mention democracy sausages or Bunnings on a Saturday morning, then it’s clear that Australians love barbeques. Even us vegetarians enjoy standing around a Weber with a beer in hand.
Tapping into this national pastime is the announcement from Label Distribution and Madman Entertainment, who will jointly release the new Australian comedy THE BBQ starring Shane Jacobson and Magda Szubanski. It hits cinemas around Australia on 18 January 2018. It’s directed by Stephen Amis (The 25th Reich, The Real Thing) with producers Lynne Wilson, Tait Brady and Deb Fryers.
Described as a “gentle comic fable about family, food and fulfilling your potential,” THE BBQ follows laid-back suburban everyman Darren “Dazza” Cook (Jacobson), who loves to entertain his friends and neighbours with his weekly backyard barbecues. Dazza has also inherited a dubious family history linked to explorer Captain James Cook. While his 12-year-old son, Jayden, is challenged to prove this ancestral link, Dazza takes his passion for the barbecue out of the backyard and into the international arena.
THE BBQ also features celebrity chef Manu Fieldel (MKR) in his first acting role, RockWiz’s Julia Zemiro, new young actor Frederick Simpson, and 1970s Spider-Man himself, Nicholas Hammond (The Sound of Music).
The BBQ Cookbook tie-in will be published to coincide with the release. The BBQ was produced with principal investment from Screen Australia and production investment from private investors, Film Victoria and the producers, Revolution Partners.
