Production restarted today!
04/10/2004
Auckland, New Zealand, October 4, 2004: Silverscreen Films and The Film Consortium announce that RIVER QUEEN star Samantha Morton is on set today, fully recovered from a recent bout of ill health, as filming resumes on director Vincent Ward’s epic film on locations in the central North Island of New Zealand.
Academy-award® nominee Samantha Morton, Kiefer Sutherland, Cliff Curtis, Stephen Rea and Temuera Morrison head the cast.
RIVER QUEEN is from an original story by Vincent Ward who co-wrote the screenplay with fellow New Zealander Toa Fraser. It tells an intimate story set in an epic context, in which Sarah, a young Irish woman, finds herself with family on both sides of the lines during the turbulent wars between Europeans and Maori in 1860s New Zealand.
Samantha Morton, nominated for Best Actress for both IN AMERICA and SWEET AND LOWDOWN, is also known for her role with Tom Cruise in MINORITY REPORT. Kiefer Sutherland, star of the hit television series 24HRS, also co-starred in the recent thrillers, TAKING LIVES and PHONE BOOTH.
Cliff Curtis starred in the Academy-nominated film WHALE RIDER, as well as in BLOW, THREE KINGS and RUNAWAY JURY.
STEPHEN REA has over 60 screen and television credits including THE CRYING GAME, INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE and THE HALO EFFECT.
Temuera Morrison is best known for his portrayal of Jake the Muss in ONCE WERE WARRIORS and more recently STAR WARS Episode II.
RIVER QUEEN marks the return of Ward to his home country after several years working in Los Angeles and Sydney. Since his debut feature VIGIL (1984), his films have consistently earned critical acclaim and festival attention. VIGIL, THE NAVIGATOR (1988) and MAP OF THE HUMAN HEART (1993) were officially selected for the Cannes Film Festival. These films alongside WHAT DREAMS MAY COME (1998) secured Ward’s position as a unique directorial voice in contemporary cinema.
RIVER QUEEN, which is an official New Zealand-United Kingdom co-production, is financed by the New Zealand Film Production Fund, the New Zealand Film Commission, the UK Film Consortium, the UK Film Council, Endgame, Invicta and Capital Pictures.
It is a collaboration between Silverscreen Films of Wellington and the Film Consortium in London – produced by the two principals Don Reynolds and Chris Auty and executive produced by James Stern, Neil Peplow, Geoff Dixon, Eric Watson and Mark Hotchin.
NZ Film is handling sales of Japan and Asian territories.
The Works in London is handling sales for the rest of the world.
Contact: Sue May, unit publicist 64 274 739 318