What Do The Critics Say?

"Greg McLean, the highly intelligent director of the unrelentingly savage but rippingly entertaining "Wolf Creek", does exactly the right thing with film number two: he stays within his chosen genre. McLean’s villain in "Rogue" has a whole different set of motives to Wolf Creek’s psycho Mick Taylor. The not-even-remotely-evil rogue crocodile of the title just wants to protect its territory and get enough food to survive. As the characters are placed in greater danger and the stunningly rendered crocodile becomes more and more fierce the cinematic thumbscrews tighten with deft precision." Erin Free FILMINK "The cast all look suitably terrified and the digital croc does look great when jumping out of the water and snapping supporting cast members in two. It's a proficiently made film - no question - and it certainly can't be faulted for being dull." Jim Schembri THE AGE "The flick's set up is pretty straight forward: an idyllic wildlife cruise in Australia's Northern Territory disintegrates into terror when a party of tourists are stalked by a massive man-eating crocodile. Simple, easy - cue the blood fest! The cast is great (Rahda Mitchell gets cuter every time I see her, while Vartan oozes cool - sadly, he's a somewhat under rated US performer), the film looks pretty good (especially for an Aussie flick) and the CGI croc is quite possibly the best and most realistic reptile yet put on the silver screen." Sean Lynch WEB WOMBAT "Rogue does for crocodiles what "Jaws" did for sharks. More than 30 years after Steven Spielberg cleared the world's beaches, most of us thought it was safe to go back into the water. That's why "Wolf Creek" director Greg McLean has audiences by seat of their King Gees. A well-paced, solidly-crafted thriller that confirms the director's early promise." Vicki Roach DAILY TELEGRAPH

"Rogue is a ripper of a thriller. From its evocative, economical title to its bright and breezy end credits pop song (Never Smile at a Crocodile) Rogue delivers everything you could want from a high class creature feature/adventure thriller. Superb cinematography and production design complement McLean's sophisticated cinema skills (and Jason Ballantine's faultless editing), often demonstrated in small and simple things like detail shots and framing, and most importantly in a film like this, what NOT to show. Rogue will chew up the box office - deservedly." Andrew L Urban URBAN CINEFILE "Greg McLean’s follow-up to Wolf Creek achieves precisely what it sets out to do, which is to scare the pants off the audience. 3 1/2 STARS" David Stratton ABC AT THE MOVIES "I think it's very well done for what it is. It's a fun ride. It's effective for what it is. 3 1/2 STARS" Margaret Pomeranz ABC AT THE MOVIES "From the man-inflicted horrors of Wolf Creek, writer director Greg McLean has taken his next project into the snapping jaws of a gigantic man-eating crocodile. Rogue is a snap-crackling creature feature imbued with anticipation and tension that ably delivers scares and bloody crunches on a magnificent, dramatic Australian backdrop. The setting is remote and the characters are all out of their comfort zone. 'A steam-train with teeth,' is how Weta Workshop's imposing crocodile creation is described, its massive scaled body slinking effortlessly into the water after devouring its prey." Louise Keller URBAN CINEFILE "Writer/director Greg Mclean's follow-up to Wolf Creek is a creature feature about a gigantic crocodile on a chomping spree. Rogue is another film that latches onto a quintessential Australian setting and pulls from it a quintessentially Australian villain." Luke Buckmaster IN FILM

How It All Began Growing up, I was always into horror comics; I loved the supernatural and science fiction especially. Movies like the old Universal and Hammer Horror classics used to play as Mum ironed clothes and I hid behind a couch. Some of my earliest film memories are from "Creature from the Black Lagoon", "Dracula" and "The Curse of the Werewolf". I absolutely loved monster movies and still do. But when you’re a kid, images contain such power, and seeing these films really made an impact. When I was in my early teens I was lucky enough to see an incredible movie called Northern Safari that was made by Australian filmmaker Keith Adams. The self funded and self distributed film which played in town halls and school classrooms all over Australia, was essentially a home movie of the family’s adventures in far North Australia during the late 60’s. There was footage of buffalos, incredible landscapes and huge crocodiles, these adventures created a swarm of stories in my imagination of mythical places filled with excitement and monstrous sized creatures in the very country I lived in, Australia. Not long after, I remember seeing a news story about a territorial or ‘rogue’ crocodile that was attacking fishing boats in the Northern Territory. The story fascinated me and has proven to be one of the major inspirations for "Rogue". The story reported a series of attacks on fishing boats between September 1978 and July 1979 by a large male crocodile which was nicknamed 'Sweetheart' by the locals. It all happened in Sweet’s Lookout Billabong; a deep billabong in the Finniss River. The first attack occurred in 1974; three people were fishing from a boat at night when the crocodile surfaced, grabbed the cowling of the outboard motor and shook the boat violently. One person was thrown out but clambered back in; when another started the engine, the crocodile attacked the propeller. In 1976, a similar attacked occurred; this time the crocodile damaged the cowling and punctured the aluminum hull. That same year, he slammed into a fishing boat from underneath, turning it around before surfacing beside it. In 1978 he attacked a moored boat, damaging the outboard engine, and sank a fishing boat. Eventually, the locals decided it would have to be caught because it was a menace to people fishing in the area. Sweetheart was finally caught in July 1979, and died soon after capture. Sweetheart’s body and skeleton are now a major display at the Northern Territory Museum and Art Gallery, measuring 5.10 meters long. In many ways, "Rogue" is a movie version of 'Sweetheart'; an animal, so big that no one could threaten him. The Sweetheart story paired with the footage in "Northern Safari" began a life-long fascination with crocodiles and the Northern Territory; both these passions where allowed to merge in writing, directing and finally producing my own homage to the monster movies I loved so much growing up." Greg McLean Writer/Director/Producer "Rogue". Some Of The Essential Components Radha Mitchell was suggested to me quite early on for the role of Kate and from then on I just could not get anyone else into my mind. To me, she really has an amazing screen presence and is a great actor, who could believably live in the world of the character. I first saw Michael Vartan on "Alias" and thought he was incredibly natural and charismatic. We spoke on the phone a bit; at one point I put it all on the line and said, "look, I’m not sure what you’re used to but this is going to be a really tough shoot. There won’t be trailers; there’ll be real crocodiles, snakes and mosquitoes. You probably don’t want to do this movie." This got him really intrigued about playing the role. Then he watched "Wolf Creek"; loved the acting style and signed on. I’m really glad he took that leap of faith, because he was fantastic in the film; a great supporter during the making of the film and has become a life-long friend of Australia. So much so, that I was at his house in L.A. in early 2007 (over a year after "Rogue" finished shooting) and he was watching a Hawthorn vs West Coast Eagles (football) game and screaming things you usually only hear at the MCG on a Saturday afternoon. In his limited free time, Vartan feeds his obsession with sports, particularly ice hockey. "If it weren’t for acting, I’d give anything to play a professional sport," he says, still holding onto his life-long dream. Sam Worthington did a screen test so spot on to the character Neil, that it sent chills through everyone. There’s probably no greater thrill for a screenwriter than to find an actor who can embody a character you’ve put so much energy and love into. It means the character can now be free of you and you’ve got a new partner in bringing it to life. Director of Photography Will Gibson has shot in more than fourty countries in a career spanning eighteen years years. With a background in documentary and advertising he has worked in a wide range of styles and formats. In 2004 Will made his first foray into feature films with "Wolf Creek". "Rogue" is his third feature film after "Macbeth" (directed by Geoffrey Wright). Both "Wolf Creek" and "Macbeth" earned best cinematography nominations at the Australian Film Institute awards in 2005 and 2006. In 2006, Will was named in Encore Magazine’s Top 10 cinematographers and described as "one of Australia’s brightest up and comers, pushing the envelope of what can be achieved in digital cinematography." He also received the Australian Cinematographers Society Award of Distinction. Gibson worked as a sound recordist and camera operator for more than twenty years on a extensive number of productions including "Dancing with the Stars", "Neighbours" and "60 Minutes". Tragically, in March this year the talented Cinematographer was found dead in his home, with sucide believed to be the cause. Born in Adelaide, Editor Jason has a Bachelor of Arts, Visual Arts from the University of South Australia with a major in Colour Photography and a minor in Film Studies. During that period he won categories in consecutive years of the S.A. Young Film Maker’s Award 1990 - 1991. His professional career first started when he worked in Adelaide for Post Production House ‘Network 8’, during the years 1992-1993. John Cox (creature effects) has twenty five years experience in the visual effects industry and is the director of Australia’s leading creature effects company, John Cox’s Creature Workshop. His company specialises in the concept, design and manufacture of fantasy creatures, characters and realistic animals. Large scale projects include the terrifying creatures in the Universal Pictures feature Pitch Black and feature characters in the Alcon Entertainment production "Racing Stripes". Recent productions include the highly successful South Korean creature feature "The Host". John has just completed work on his first Bollywood film "Love Story 2050" and is currently working on Walden Media’s "Nim’s Island". John received a 1995 Academy Award for Visual Effects for the movie "Babe" and in 1999 was elected as a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In 2006 his Creature Workshop received the Kinetone award for 'significant contribution to the Queensland Film and television Industry'. Production Designer Robert Webb first worked in an art department on "Serenades" and then as Art Director on "One Night the Moon", directed by Rachel Perkins. Robert worked in desert locations with the extremities of winter and non-stop rain, but his team created a beautiful settlers house from an old disused station homestead and garden as well as a home for the aboriginal tracker in the film. "One Night the Moon" won the AFC Award for Best Cinematography in 2001.In 2001, he worked on Philip Noyce’s acclaimed feature "Rabbit Proof Fence" as the Props Buyer and on "Black & White" as Set Decorator. Robert also art directed the features "A Shot of Love" (2003) and "Peaches" (2004) before teaming with Greg McLean as his as Art Director and Production Designer on "Wolf Creek". In 2006 he received an IF Award for "Caterpillar Wish". After graduating from the Whitehouse School of Fashion in Sydney, Nicola Dunn began a career as a freelance fashion stylist, which evolved into her current role as costume designer. After traveling through Europe, basing herself in Austria and London, a move to New York led to an introduction to the film industry. Returning home to Australia, Nicola moved to Melbourne to continue working as a fashion stylist and nurturing her interest in film. She went on to work on over sixty TV commercials. An opportunity to work on Greg McLean’s short film "ICQ" began a solid working relationship with the director that led to the role of Costume Designer on the internationally acclaimed "Wolf Creek" and "Rogue". Now residing back in Sydney, Nicola’s latest project was the Australian/U.K mini-series, "Tripping Over". Dimension Films and The Weinstein Company however teamed up to make "Rogue" before the success of "Wolf Creek" was even realized. Its production budget far surpassed that of Wolf Creek’s $1.38m. "Rogue" was given a budget of $25m so that it could utilize all of the available technologies to make it the most realistic crocodile movie possible. Synopsis

Pete is an American travel writer reporting on the booming tourist industry in the Northern Territory. While taking a river cruise he finds himself stuck with a collection of interesting characters, including Kate, the beautiful local tour guide. There is an immediate attraction between the two. The river setting appears idyllic, except for the fact that the waters are rules by dangerous Salt Water Crocodiles. After watching another tourist boat luring crocodiles to leap out of the water, the obvious question is are they safe. Kate's answer is yes. Croc's never attack anything bigger than themselves. But just as they are about to return to base, one of the passengers spots a flare in the skyline. While going to investigate their boat is rammed by something from below, the tour is thrown into disarray. It must have been a bloody big croc because the damage has now left them stranded on a tiny mud island. As night falls and the tide starts to rise, the group slowly realise they are being stalked by a huge saltwater crocodile. It is the beginning of a terrifying struggle for survival in one of the most remote places in the world. A struggle only some will survive!

The Verdict "With no R18+ rating and only a modest 'M', "Rogue" should do well at the box-office for a number of reasons. First and foremost is the fact that it is far more 'user friendly' than its predecessor "Wolf Creek", a film many saw for its curiosity factor. There was so much hype around "Wolf Creek" many cinemagoers felt compelled to take it in. Despite the fact that "Rogue" features one heck of a monster crocodile, this is not a brutal film. And that's not to say it won't scare the beejeebers out of audiences, because it will. The second reason for seeing "Rogue" is that, until the shit hits the fan, the film makes for quite a nice promotion for the wonders of the Northern Territory. Of course, after seeing the film, many will instantly be recalling the films catchy tag line: Welcome To The Terrortory. Another reason many will want to see "Rogue" is because of the fear factor. Our fear for sharks was fueled by "Jaws" and now, McLean fuels our fear for crocodiles. A lot of hard work went into making this film. The cast, led by Radha Mitchell and Michael Vartan are good; the cinematography is excellent; the editing is crisp; the giant croc really is a fearsome sight to behold and, the Francois Tetaz score adds a moody finishing touch. A film worthy of your support. Very recommended. 4 STARS." Cast & Crew Bytes "ROGUE" stars .......
Radha Mitchell ["Phone Booth", "Man on Fire", "Finding Neverland" and "Melinda and Melinda"]; Michael Vartan ["The Next Best Thing", "One Hour Photo" and "Monster-in-Law"]; Stephen Curry ["The Nugget", "Take Away" and "Thunderstruck"]; Sam Worthington ["Hart's War", "Dirty Deeds", "Gettin' Square" and "Somersault"]; John Jarratt ["All Men Are Liars", "Wolf Creek" and "The Final Winter"] and Celia Ireland ["Thank God He Met Lizzie", "My Mother Frank" and "Australian Rules"] as Gwen.
"ROGUE" was .......
directed by Greg Mclean ["ICQ" and "Wolf Creek"]; screenplay by Greg Mclean ["ICQ" and "Wolf Creek"]; sound mixer Pete Smith ["Charlotte Gray", "Japanese Story", "Somersault" and "Look Both Ways"]; costume design by Nicola Dunn ["Wolf Creek"]; production design by Robert Webb ["The 13th House", "Wolf Creek" and "Caterpillar Wish"]; edited by Jason Ballantine ["Wolf Creek", "The Bet" and "Caterpillar Wish"]; cinematography by Will Gibson ["Sticky Date", "Noise", "Wolf Creek" and "Macbeth"]; score composed by Francois Tetaz ["The Hard Word", "Thunderstruck" and "Wolf Creek"]. Who's Who?

Radha Mitchell Michael Vartan Sam Worthington John Jarratt Stephen Curry Celia Ireland Heather Mitchell Geoff Morrell Damien Richardson Robert Taylor Mia Wasikowska Caroline Brazier Barry Otto

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Kate Ryan Pete McKell Neil Russell Simon Gwen O’Dwyer Elizabeth Allen Colin Everett Kennedy Sherry Mary Ellen Merve

Run Time 93 minutes Rated M [AUST] Copyright ©2007 - Dimension Films - All Rights Reserved ©2007 All Rights Reserved - The Movie Pages & Impact Internet Services - Protected by Australian & International Copyright. Trademark Laws Apply.