Scriptwriter Christine Madafferi's adaptation of Robin Klein's coming-of-age book Hating Alison Ashley is back on track, albeit with a new director, following yesterday's decision by Film Finance Corporation Australia to again back the project.

Hating Alison Ashley was approved in May with LA-based expatriate Rod Hardy in the director's chair but contractual difficulties and creative differences meant if fell over soon after. Andrew Prose, who has directed such television drama as the big-budget special effects laden Farscape and the gritty Wildside, is now in the hot seat.

The producers are Elizabeth Howatt-Jackman, a former business affairs manager for Crawfords Australia and deputy director of Film Victoria, and John Brousek (The Wog Boy). Arclight principals Gary Hamilton and Victor Syrmis have executive producer credits beside Brousek and are handling the film internationally.

Universal has bought the rights to the teen comedy for Australia, New Zealand and the UK, although Hoyts will be the sub-distributor locally rather than Universal's usual delegate, UIP. Shooting is likely to get underway in April next year. The story is billed as being about teenagers growing up "dealing with their self-inflicted angst, their embarrassing parents, and their friends and those they would call their enemies".

Topics