Boxing Day movies through to New Year s Day: What s opening in Australian cinemas
ThuThursday 24
DecDecember 2020 at 7:22pm
Wonder Woman 1984 was meant to open early this year, but was pushed back due to COVID-19.
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Like everything else about 2020, this summer s film slate is hardly business as usual; we d normally be running a gauntlet of Oscar contenders and big blockbusters, but many of those releases have been delayed due to the ongoing pandemic.
Instead, we have a strange mash of big, small, middle-scale and idiosyncratic films to choose from for Boxing Day through to New Year s Day.
Spotlight Report
The Sydney premiere for Robert Connolly’s new Australian film
The Dry was held on Tuesday 15 December at The Royal Botanic Gardens as part of the opening night of this year’s Wespac Open Air Cinema.
During the premiere, we had the chance to speak to the stars of the film
Adapted from
Jane Harper’s debut novel,
Bana is Federal Police agent Aaron Falk. Falk returns to the drought stricken farming community of Kiewarra to attend the funeral of his childhood best friend Luke Hadler. The mysteries circumstances surrounding Hadler’s death lead Falk into an investigation that forces him to confront his own past.
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Appearing relaxed ahead of the Christmas break, Eric wore a pair of black shorts and an orange T-shirt.
He was joined by his wife Rebecca Gleeson, 49, daughter Sophia, 18, another woman and a small child.
Just a short trip? Eric resides in Melbourne, but recently flew to Sydney to premiere his new film, The Dry, last Tuesday
He s still got it! The actor, who played The Hulk in the early 2000s, showed off his muscles by carrying around the little girl in his arms and on his back
The actor, who played The Hulk in the early 2000s, showed off his muscles by carrying around the little girl in his arms and on his back.
Complicating matters a lot, at least half the town believe that Aaron and Luke were somehow complicit in the death of Aaron s girlfriend 20 years before. And that Aaron only left town in a hurry to escape the country justice that was coming his way. Leading the charge is an obstreperous wee rooster by the name of Grant, who seems to have his own particular reasons for wanting Aaron run out of town.
The Dry is set – literally and metaphorically – in a tinderbox. Australian veteran Robert Connolly (
Balibo) has taken the broad strokes of Jane Harper s award-winning debut novel, streamlined a few narrative arcs, but stays absolutely true to Harper s brilliant evocation of the land and the relentless heat as active characters within the story.
The Dry marks Eric Bana s first lead role in an Australian movie in 13 years.
And with the local industry thriving amid the coronavirus pandemic, the 52-year-old actor felt the project was really special to be part of.
Speaking to Daily Mail Australia at the premiere in Sydney, Eric said he was excited to bring the best-selling novel to life without leaving the country.
Leading man: Eric Bana (pictured at the premiere of The Dry on Tuesday) has revealed he was excited to take on a lead role in an Australian movie for the first time in 13 years
The Dry was filmed across more than 20 regional towns in rural Victoria last year, before the coronavirus pandemic hit.