Luke Hemsworth, Milo Ventimiglia Join Russell Crowe in ‘Land of Bad’ Ahead of Australia Shoot

September 8, 2022

Luke Hemsworth (“Westworld”), Milo Ventimiglia (“This Is Us”), Ricky Whittle (“American Gods”), Daniel MacPherson (“Poker Face,” “Foundation”) and Chika Ikogwe (“Heartbreak High”) join Russell Crowe and Liam Hemsworth in the cast of action thriller “Land of Bad.”

The previously announced title will shoot from later this month on the Gold Coast and Southeast Queensland, it was announced on Thursday.

“Land of Bad” follows Reaper (Crowe), an Air Force drone pilot supporting a Delta Force special ops mission in the South Philippines. After the mission goes terribly wrong, Reaper has 48 hours to remedy what has devolved into a wild rescue operation. The Tier-One team, led by Cpt. Sugar (Ventimigila) and Sgt. Abel (Luke Hemsworth) is re-deployed to return and retrieve their captured man and the asset. They are joined by Kinney (Liam Hemsworth), a green Air Force JTAC officer, who is thrust into the middle of a high-stakes extraction. But the ground mission suddenly turns upside down and becomes a full-scale battle when the team is discovered by the enemy. With no weapons and no communication other than the drone above, Reaper becomes the young operator’s only ticket out.

Will Eubank (“Underwater,” “The Signal”) will direct and co-wrote the film with David Frigerio (“The Signal”). The film is being produced by Broken Open Pictures’ David Frigerio, Will Eubank, Volition Media Partners’ Adam Beasley and Michael Jefferson, R.U. Robot and Highland Film Group. Highland Film Group is representing international rights.

Brisbane-based Hoodlum Entertainment will executive produce. The Australian executive producers are Hoodlum’s Tracey Robertson, Nathan Mayfield and Tracey Vieira.

The film secured partial funding from the state’s location incentive furnished through Screen Queensland’s Production Attraction Strategy.

“ ‘Land of Bad’ is good news for the Australian screen sector – and I’m excited to welcome this production to our shores,” said federal Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke.

“Led locally by Brisbane’s Hoodlum Entertainment who will executive produce, ‘Land of Bad’ will enjoy first-class expertise from a Queensland crew and deliver an estimated A$7.7 million ($5.2 million) into the state’s economy,” said Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

By Patrick Frater, Variety