Herald Sun 2012-06-29 Click to view full article

Film director Simon West wants Hollywood stars for his next film Dust and Glory set in Australian outback.

BIG budget local film Dust And Glory is on a mission to recruit some of Hollywood's best known stars.

Celebrated film director Simon West - best known for his big-budget smashes Con Air and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - is set to make approaches on a who's who including Christian Bale, Gerard Butler, Mel Gibson, Hugh Jackman, Eric Bana, Rachael Taylor, Isla Fisher and Ryan Gosling.

West said he was excited to be at the helm of the romantic action comedy to be shot in various locations around Australia later this year.

"I have a huge vision for this amazing 1950s character-driven Australian story," West told Confidential.

"It brings legendary figures of what was the toughest, roughest and most dangerous car racing in the world.

"Cars, the romance, the Australian Outback and legendary characters are sure to make this a great film.

"I'm excited to go out and get a high calibre cast for this movie."

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Director Simon West, currently shooting The Expendables 2, is in negotiations to board Dust and Glory, a car racing movie being independently produced by Top Cat Media and Blue Star Entertainment.

Based on a novel by Evan Green, the romance adventure project is set during the 1950s’ Redex trials, which covered more than 10,000 miles of some of the toughest racing terrain in Australia, if not the world. Described as being a cross between Mad Max and Jewel of the Nile, the Robert Lewis Galinsky-written script follows the rivalry between an American hotshot and an Australian legend Galinsky is producing with Elizabeth Howatt-Jackman and David Parker via the trio’s Top Kat. Blue Star Entertainment’s Jason Shuman and William Sherak are also producing.

Jib Polhemus of Simon West Productions is executive producer.

The producers are eyeing a summer start in Australia and hope to go out to cast before year’s end.

See the article on hollywoodreporter.com