Pitch Good actress Rebel Wilson directed, produced and starred in The Deb, an Australian musical comedy that had its world premiere on the Toronto Movie Competition on Saturday night time.
And Wilson, who was available for a post-screening Q&A at Roy Thomson Corridor for TIFF’s closing night time movie, defined why her subsequent directorial efforts will solely be musicals. “When I was a teenager, it was a pretty dark time, and I got to see a musical at 14 years of age, because my dog auditioned for it,” she recalled.
The canine didn’t get the gig, however Wilson obtained hooked on musicals. “I saw these people dancing and singing on stage, they were so colorful and joyful, and that really helped me through my teenage years,” she added.
Wilson mentioned she’s had two presents to direct musicals within the close to future. “That’s why, if I’m directing more movies, it’ll only be musicals and bringing joy and positivity to people,” she insisted.
The Deb is a musical comedy set in rural Australia, and is produced by Amanda Ghost, Len Blavatnik and Gregor Cameron through their firm Unigram and sister firm AI Movie.
Tailored from of the unique stage musical of the identical title, The Deb was produced in partnership with Rebel Wilson’s Camp Sugar Productions and Australian producer Bunya Productions. The comedy follows lovable farm woman and highschool outcast Taylah Simpkins, performed by Natalie Abbott, who is definite the upcoming Debutante Ball, or “the Deb,” is her one probability for a makeover.
However when her cynical metropolis cousin Maeve (Charlotte MacInnes) is exiled to Taylah’s drought-stricken city Dunburn, she thinks the ball is regressive and disrupts the established order. However of their seek for the highlight, Taylah and Maeve dig deep to search out self-acceptance, and a date to the Deb.
Wilson advised the TIFF viewers the concept to direct her personal film got here as she labored on Common and Working Title’s adaptation of Cats, with the Australian actor taking part in as a part of tune and dance numbers Jennyanydots within the characteristic.
“I went up to the director and said, ‘I’m just not sure you’re doing it right,’ and a female producer who’d witnessed the exchange came over to me and said I think you should direct a movie one day,” she remembered.
At first Wilson wasn’t satisfied the director’s chair was for her, however when she selected to aim a directorial debut, she appeared for inspiration to Australian traditional films like Muriel’s Wedding ceremony and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
“I thought, well, if I’m going to do a movie, it has to be Australian, it has to have a koala and it has to feature plenty of bush,” she added.
The Toronto Movie Competition wraps on Sept. 15.