The Deb | |
Director: | Rebel Wilson |
Screenplay: | Hannah Reilly and Rebel Wilson |
Based On: | The Deb by Hannah Reilly |
Producer: | Gregor Cameron Amanda Ghost David Jowsey Greer Simpkin Rebel Wilson |
Starring: | Natalie Abbott, Charlotte MacInnes, Stevie Jean, Shane Jacobson, Tara Morice and Rebel Wilson |
Cinematography: | Ross Emery |
Editing: | Jane Moran |
Music: | Michael Yezerski |
Studio: | Bunya Productions AI Film Camp Sugar Productions Unigram |
Runtime: | 119 minutes |
Country: | Australia |
Language: | English |
The Deb is a 2024 Australian musical film directed by Rebel Wilson based on the stage musical of the same name.
From the Screen Australia website: "The Deb follows lovable farm girl and high school outcast Taylah Simpkins, who is certain the upcoming Debutante Ball, ‘the Deb,’ is her one chance to redefine herself. When her cynical city cousin Maeve is exiled to Taylah's drought-stricken town Dunburn, she thinks the ball is a “heteronormative shit-show” and immediately disrupts the status quo. In their search for the spotlight, Taylah and Maeve dig deep to find self-acceptance — and a date to the Deb."[1]
The stage show premiered in 2022. Filming commenced in September 2023.[2]
Wilson was inspired by Australian films such as The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Muriel's Wedding. “I really like seeing my culture on screen,” he sauid. “[Those films are] very seminal to me and I really wanted to create a movie that was like the modern version of those. Those movies have such charm, they’re so colourful, and they’re very funny. And they have real heart to them.”[3]
The film is to premiere on 15 September 2024 as the closing film of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.[4]
Wilson accused some of the film's producers of blocking the movie's debut at the Toronto Film Festival, further accusing them - specially Amanda Ghost, Gregory Cameron and Vince Holden - of "bad behavior" including "inappropriate behavior towards the lead actress of the film" and "embezzling funds from the film’s budget" along with "absolute viciousness and retaliatory behavior." These claims were denied by the producers in question.[5]
The producers subsequently launched legal action against Wilson for defamation, claiming, among other things, that Wilson tried to take credit on the film for which she was not entitled.[6] Wilson then attacked billionaire Financier Len Blavatnik claiming he was supporting the producers.[7]