The scales of Justice League

It would have been the Aussie movie that brought together Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman on the big screen. But Justice League's supervillain was the Global Financial Crisis which wiped the project out just weeks before shooting was about to get underway. Australian actress Teresa Palmer has spoken out about the film, in which she was to star as one of the villains.

Currently back in the country to promote her new film Sorcerer's Apprentice, with Nicolas Cage and Jay Baruchel, Palmer said the cast were devastated about the failed project.
``I know Megan Gale had even got to try on her Wonder Woman costume and it was the same with the Batman and Superman costumes,'' she said.
``I played a villain so I didn't get to start trying on my costume, but we were all in Sydney rehearsing for a few weeks.
``It was fortunate for me because I got to know Jay (Baruchel) who was also playing a villain and when we did a chemistry test for the Sorcerer's Apprentice we had already worked together and I got the part.''

Australian filmmaker George Miller, best known for the Mad Max franchise, was directing the project which is based on DC Comics series of the same name. It sees prominent superheroes within the DC universe unite to fight crime.The film would have included characters such as Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash and Green Lantern. Palmer said she was to play supervillain Talia al Ghul and that like the storyline in the comics, there was a love interest between her and Batman.
``There were a few romantic sparks (in the script),'' she said.
``It would have been great because Batman was played by the strikingly handsome Armie Hammer.
``It was very disappointing and I would still love to be involved in it if something ever did happen again.''The Justice League cast included a batch of relative unknowns in the roles, including supermodel Megan Gale as Wonder Woman, rapper Common as Green Lantern, OC alumni Adam Brody as The Flash, D.J Cotrona as Superman, Santiago Cabrera as Aquaman, Hugh Keays-Byrne as Martian Manhunter, Palmer (above) as Ghul and Baruchel as unknown villain.

Now that Marvel Studios have got Buffy creator Joss Whedon working on an Avengers movie, rumours have been circulating that Justice League might go back into production. Palmer said if Miller and the same studio were involved, she would not hesitate to rejoin the project.
``It was an amazing role,'' she said.
``I got to know George quite well and we did some intense workshops and got to spend a lot of time together.
``It was amazing to spend time with him because he's such a veteran and a prestigious filmmamker and an icon in Australia.
``It was flattering to be working with him so closely.''

Palmer said they discussed working together on his fourth Mad Max film Fury Road but `unfortunately' she was not able to do it due to scheduling conflicts. Mad Max: Fury Road too has hit financial difficulties and although filming was supposed to begin in Australia this year, it has been pushed back to February, 2011. In the mean time, stay poised for full interview with Palmer coming in the next few days and her tell-all about Steven Spielberg and Michael Bay produced alien-actioner I Am Number Four.

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Urban Street Survivor

Okay, so the title may sound a bit like a spin-off video game from the Street Fighter series but this low budget film has got my attention. Mainly because I got to go on set while they were shooting the promo on the Gold Coast yesterday but still . . .
Here’s the low down on Urban Street Survivor:
The film centres around a 15-year-old street kid called Mouth who ran away from an orphanage at the age of 11. Using his cunning Mouth manages to survive on the rough streets and avoid attention from several of the racial gangs which rule the surrounding area. Eventually he’s taken in by a reformed gang leader who offers him and other street kids an alternative to the violent gang life through channelling their anger in to self defence classes. But a music concert on the border of several rival gang territories brings tensions to a head and threatens the future of the boys. Brisbane lad Hamish Irvin plays Mouth and was discovered by the writer/director/producer Stuart Freeman at the Australian Academy of Acting when he was working there last month. Freeman has got Hamish to do a cockney accent for the role (just because he can) and apparently the young up and comer is so good, he’s going to be a ‘massive international star in the future’. Freeman and long time writing buddy Nick Pendragon penned the script for Urban Street Survivor which is one of five they are presenting to studio executives in America later this month. For those of you who are not familiar with Freeman’s work he was the first assistant director on Aussie films The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Mad Max III. Originally hailing from the UK, he now lives on the Gold Coast and has been busy trying to boost the profile of the local film industry. Freeman just finished shooting a short film for the annual In The Bin Short Film Festival about the devastating affects land mines can have on communities long after a war is over. The film is called `Red Ribbon’ and was shot at the West Burleigh quarry in a bid to make the set look like somewhere in Iraq or Afghanistan. If any where on the Gold Coast could look like a dusty, war ravaged, deserty hole then it’s West Burleigh quarry so mission accomplished. Freeman is also shooting majority of Urban Street Survivor on the Gold Coast too like yesterday, for example, when he used Benowa skater Max Morphett to shoot some of the skate board scenes at Pizzey Park. Miami state primary school also let Freeman use the grounds to film eight leather-clad women on Harley’s fangin' it through the school. Meow. Stay posted for more Urban Street Survivor updates and news on what Stuart Freeman and the gang are up to next.

Director Stuart Freeman shooting scenes for Urban Street Survivor at Pizzey Park skate park, Miami yesterday.

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