Principal photography on The Cup commences on Monday, an event long in the works, according to the film’s director, Simon Wincer, who is shown at left with actors Daniel MacPherson, Stephen Curry, and Harli Ammes at Lindsay Park stables.
Based on the events surrounding Damien Oliver’s dramatic victory in the 2002 Melbourne Cup, The Cup has been anything but a smooth ride for the Emmy Award-winning director .
Irish actor Brendan Gleeson has committed to star as Ireland’s winningest trainer, Dermot Weld, in The Cup, which goes into production later this month in Australia with Simon Wincer to direct. Weld enjoys the unique distinction of being the only international trainer to have twice won the Melbourne Cup: in 1993 with Vintage Crop and in 2002 with Media Puzzle. It is the latter victory that plays an integral part in the development of the film.
Some of the most important casting decisions for The Cup have already been made and the papers signed. Director Simon Wincer has personally overseen the acquisition of more than two dozen Thoroughbreds, each of whom is now being schooled in the intricacies of the moviemaking art.
From The Man From Snowy River to The Lighthorsemen and The Young Black Stallion, Wincer’s ability as a filmmaker to capture the passion and allure of horses is unmatched in Hollywood, but he does admit there are one or two obstacles to recreating the dramatic running of the 2002 Melbourne Cup.
Emmy Award-winning director Simon Wincer confirms that principal photography for The Cup will commence in Australia on May 31. The veteran filmmaker who has crafted classics such as The Man From Snowy River, Lonesome Dove, and Free Willy has already completed second unit photography for The Cup at two key venues: The Curragh in County Kildare, Ireland, site of Dermot Weld’s training center; and Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, home of the Melbourne Cup, the world’s most prestigious two-mile handicap.
Here’s a first look at the movie poster for The Cup, which Executive Producer Kirk D’Amico and his team at Myriad Pictures took to the American Film Market last month in Santa Monica. The poster and a synopsis ran at Collider.com.
Based on the determined looks etched across every face pictured on the poster, you would think there is not a single lighthearted moment in the film. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
