Dean Semler’s director debut (1992)

THE KANGAROO KID

Flashback to Variety Today (1992)

AWARD-winning cinematographer Dean Semler will make his directing debut with the major Australian/American motion picture,The Kangaroo Kid, with shooting scheduled to begin in central and south-east Queensland in April.

After nine weeks, the filming will move to Dallas, Texas for the final two weeks.

President of Village Roadshow Pictures, Greg Coote, was excited when announcing the new project: "Once or maybe twice in a lifetime a script like this comes along. It will be a movie to make the people of Australia and around the world laugh and cry, and above all, feel good. It is very special."

The Kangaroo Kid tells the story of a young man and his love for an extraordinary animal and is set over two decades and two continents.

Written from his own original idea by former journalist, and now international novelist, Maxwell Grant, who also carries an Associate producer credit, the film will be produced by Robyn Burke.

Executive producers are Gregory Coote and Graham Burke, with co-producers Michael Lake and Doug Yellin. Key production people in place so far are Andrew Lesnie - Director of Photography; Martin O'Neill - Production Designer; Susan Bowden - Costume Designer; and David Hirschfelder - Musical Director and Composer.

Dean Semler said negotiations with some exciting people were well on the way for casting in the movie, and he looked forward to making announcements soon!

UPDATE 2012: Dean Semler, born in Renmark, South Australia in 1943, was awarded the A.M. (Member of the Order of Australia) in the 2002 Queen's New Years Honours List for his services to the arts as an Australian and internationally acclaimed cinematographer. The Kangaroo Kid (1992) remained unfinished but Dean Semler has a long list of hugely successful blockbusters to his credit as a cinematographer ranging from Mad Max II, The Road Warrier (1981) early in his career to the upcoming Walt Disney Pictures' Maleficent - a fantasy-Thriller film directed by Robert Stromberg and starring Angelina Jolie due for release in 2014.

Announced on November 6, 2012: Cinematographer Dean Semler is to receive an American Society of Cinematography (ASC) Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013. The Australian Cinematographers Society also said it was incredibly proud of Dean's achievements.

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