Epic war-time survival tale “The Guns of Muschu” has already assembled a weighty cast ahead of a production start in the first quarter of 2025.
The film is an adaptation of the non-fiction book “The Guns of Muschu,” written by Don Dennis, with an adapted screenplay by Tom Broadhurst and Jack Brislee (“Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan”). The narrative brings to life a pivotal chapter of Australian war history with gritty authenticity, recounting the high body count Operation Copper, a mission during WWII when Australian and New Zealand troops were sent into the jungles of Papua New Guinea.
The objective of the mission was to investigate theJapanesedefenses onMuschu Island, capture a Japanese officer for interrogation and discover the location of two naval guns on the island that were protecting a harbor. Eight commandos were landed as part of the operation, but only one survived.
The story in “The Guns of Muschu” focuses on the mission’s lone survivor, Mick Dennis, whose harrowing journey is one of impossible odds and endurance through unimaginable brutality.
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To be directed by Matthew Holmes (“The Legend of Ben Hall,” “The Cost”), the production has cast Ben Hall (“Warnie,” “Devil’s Playground,” “Better Man”) in the lead role as Dennis. The film has also already attached Australian actors Matt Day (“Sweet Country”), Callan McAuliffe (“The Walking Dead”), Jordan Fraser-Trumble (“The Legend of Ben Hall”), Gerald Lepkowski (“The Death of Stalin”), Maximillian Johnson (“High Ground”), Clayton Watson (“The Matrix Reloaded”), Damon Hunter (“The Cost”) and Arthur Angel (“Red Dog”).
Production is by Rally Point Media, RLC Motion Picture Entertainment and Two Tone Pictures, a repeat of the collaboration that led to 2017’s “The Legend of Ben Hall” and thriller “The Cost” last year.
Delivery of the completed picture is targeted for the first quarter of 2026, in time for an Australian theatrical distributor to reach cinema screens by Anzac Day [April 25] in 2026. No local distributor or international sales representative has yet been attached.
“’The Guns of Muschu’ will pay tribute to the extraordinary bravery of the Anzacs,” said Holmes. “The story of Mick Dennis and the men of Operation Copper is a testament to the indomitable spirit of Australian soldiers who served in the Pacific Theater during World War II. It also makes for astonishing cinema that will stun audiences worldwide.”
