Stan is bringing a literary favourite to life, announcing a high-profile adaptation of David Walliams’ bestselling children’s book, FING!
Walliams, who has sold more than 60 million books in 55 languages, said he “can’t wait to see it come to life on screen” as it’s “such a fun and visual story with so many flights of fancy.”
Penelope Wilton in a still from FING!
A major international co-production
Boasting a powerhouse cast led by Academy Award® winner Taika Waititi (Time Bandits, Our Flag Means Death), Mia Wasikowska (Club Zero, Alice in Wonderland), David Walliams (Little Britain, Dinner for Schmucks), Richard Roxburgh (Stan Original Series Prosper, Elvis), Mia Wasikowska (The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Downton Abbey), Blake Harrison (World on Fire, I Hate Suzie Too), and theatre legend Robyn Nevin (Sting, The End), the film also marks a breakout role for newcomer Iona Bell (Mandrake, Hush Now).
The whimsical yet cautionary tale follows Mr and Mrs Meek (Harrison and Wasikowska), a pair of unassuming librarians desperate to satisfy their relentlessly demanding daughter, Myrtle (Bell).
When Myrtle insists she must have a ‘FING!‘, her hapless parents embark on a wild adventure to track down the mysterious creature, leading them deep into an untamed jungle teeming with unexpected dangers.
However, they soon discover that FING! is just as unruly and destructive as their daughter – setting up a head-to-head battle against the nefarious Viscount (Waititi), an unscrupulous animal park owner obsessed with claiming the rarest of beasts for himself.
Taika Waititi in a still from FING!
For Walliams, having Waititi join the cast is “absolutely thrilling”. “He’s a fantastic comedy performer, writer and director, and I know he’ll have enormous fun playing the villainous role of the Viscount,” he said.
Waititi revealed he took inspiration from his teenage daughters when preparing for the role. “I can’t wait to unleash this absolutely mental Viscount character on audiences. It’s dark, it’s weird, it’s me!”
Adding to the film’s charm, Walliams himself steps into the role of the exasperated head master, barely holding his school together amid Myrtle’s antics.
Meanwhile, Wilton plays Nanny, the fiercely opinionated caretaker who has raised the Viscount since birth, while Roxburgh takes on the role of the weary bank manager, tasked with keeping the Viscount’s lavish spending in check.
Boosting Queensland’s screen industry
Filming started in February in Brisbane in conjunction with Screen Queensland. It’s a partnership that producer Todd Fellman said is vital to the success of the product.
“Working with Screen Queensland once again continues to provide the perfect platform to create a film of international scale and quality which will resonate with audiences of all ages across the globe,” he said.
FING! is an official Australian-UK co-production, led by Jo Sargent from London-based King Bert Productions and Fellman from Queensland’s Story Bridge Films.
Blake Harrison in a still from FING!
AGC Studios is co-financing the film while handling global sales and distribution. Elevate Media Capital is also providing financial backing.
The film will be released theatrically in Australia and New Zealand via Transmission before streaming exclusively on Stan as a Stan Original Film, with Sky developing the film in the UK. Executive producers for Stan include Cailah Scobie and Alicia Brown.
Stan chief content officer Scobie said the team were “instantly captivated by FING!’s charm and originality”.
“It’s a film with universal appeal and we are confident it will resonate with Australian audiences of all ages. We’re delighted to be part of the global release,” she said.