It’s one of the starriest Australian casts this side of a Baz Luhrmann film, but How To Change In 9 Weeks is unlikely to feature any big musical numbers.
Sam Neill, Guy Pearce and Miranda Otto have all joined the crime drama, which is based on the real-life (and death) story of Rachel Barber, a 15-year-old Australian student who went missing in Melbourne in 1999 and was discovered murdered by childhood friend Caroline Reid. Kate Bell and Ruth Murphy are playing the central roles while Pearce and Otto play Barber’s parents and Neill appears as Reid’s father.
Director Simone North, a veteran of Aussie TV movies and series is getting a little guidance from someone with a little experience in the film game – Sidney Lumet is mentoring her all through the shoot, which has just kicked off in Queensland.