Russell Crowe will make his feature directorial debut on Universal and Imagine Entertainment’s “Bra Boys,” a fact-based drama about a counterculture movement in a surf community in Australia.
Brian Grazer will produce. Stuart Beattie (“Collateral”) will pen the screenplay.
The studio will base the film on the “Bra Boys” documentary that focuses on Sunny, Koby and Jai Abberton, three brothers who began the underground surfer movement in the inner-Sydney seaside suburb of Maroubra.
Docu addresses the triumphs of the large, rough-and-tumble group, as well as their social struggles. Crowe narrated the docu. It is unclear whether he will play a role in the film.
Beattie, Crowe and Grazer will also draw from a nonfiction book about the Bra Boys that’s in the works.
Deal marks another Crowe collaboration with Imagine’s Grazer and Ron Howard. After toplining “A Beautiful Mind” and “Cinderella Man,” Crowe most recently starred with Denzel Washington in the Ridley Scott-directed Imagine drama “American Gangster,” which Universal will distribute in the fall. Separately, Crowe most recently starred with Christian Bale in the James Mangold-directed “3:10 to Yuma,” to be distributed by Lionsgate.
Im not sure if he directed it but im pretty sure he narrated it. I dont know much about the bra boys, but im sure sick of the publicity they get. I think the movie is purely a money making exercise. I guess all movies are though. I wont be watching it thats for sure, mindless violence and tough guy " im a hell man" antics don’t really do much for me. I could be wrong though, they may well be a bunch of nice blokes. I’d be interested to hear from people who surf around the area about their experiences with them. I have heard from people ( im not saying this is true ) that they have visited beaches far from their local, with jetskis on 3ft days, and basically hounded other surfers ( locals ) out of the water. DOn’t know if it’s true, just what i’ve heard.
It will probably be a financial hit. It’ll have all the stuff the masses will pay to watch… Drugs, violence, stabbings, etc. etc… Oh, yeah, surfing too… I read an interview with Koby once somewhere and thought to myself, this could be a movie… Violence, stabbings, jail time, then saved by surfing… PERFECT box office appeal… Plus Crowe’s name on it will bring the bodies to fill the seats good or bad… I’m curious to see how it goes…
this is a perfect format for russell crowe—a guy with a history of anger management problems portrayes people who have anger management problems—not a film i’ll be supporting…the whole things a stain on OZ and surfing also
On March 10th, 2006, three years after Koby Abberton’s brother, Jai, shot and killed a notorious local thug and dumped his body off the cliff at Maroubra, the final scene of a legal battle that gripped Australia was about to play out. Jai Abberton had already made Australian legal history by being acquitted of murder on the grounds of self-defense, but now it was Koby’s turn. Koby, one of Australia’s best surfing talents, had been found guilty of lying to police to cover up the shooting, and now Koby was standing in front of the judge waiting to hear his sentence, well aware the crime carried a 14-year maximum sentence. With the words “My Brother’s Keeper” inked around his neck, he was set to find out the price of that motto.
“I’m going to sentence you to nine months in jail,” the judge said gruffly. But after a pregnant 30-second pause, he delivered a sweet kicker: “But I am going to suspend the sentence.”
I think RC’s role will be Executive Director, he’ll leave the hard work to others…