A bunch of A-list talent have joined the cast set to bring David Walliams’ best-selling children’s book, FING! to life.
Walliams will be joined by award-winning director and actor Taika Waititi (Time Bandits, Our Flag means Death), Mia Wasikowska (Club Zero, Alice In Wonderland) and Richard Roxburgh (Stan Original Series Prosper, Elvis) in the epic screen adaptation.
Streaming giant Stan also confirmed Penelope Wilton (The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Downton Abbey) Blake Harrison (World On Fire, The Inbetweeners), Robyn Nevin (Sting and The End) and newcomer Iona Bell (Mandrake, Hush Now) would star.
The story follows librarians Mr. and Mrs. Meek, (Harrison and Wasikowska) who will do anything to keep their darling daughter, Myrtle (Bell), happy. But it’s not enough for Myrtle who always wants more.
When Myrtle declares she wants a Fing, her parents have no choice but to track one down, taking them to the furthest and darkest corners of the jungle.
Fing turns out to be as much as a destructive monster as Myrtle, who in turn, must battle it out with the evil animal park owner, The Viscount (Waititi), who is determined to own this rarest of creatures.
The Headmaster of Myrtle’s school (Walliams) is barely coping as he navigates her antics, whilst juggling the demands of a school in the modern age. Nanny (Wilton) is the opinionated and loyal servant of the Viscount, who she has raised since birth.
Meanwhile, the Bank Manager (Roxburgh) has had to deal with the Viscount’s overspending for many years, and is running out of patience.
New Zealand filmmaker, actor and and comedian Waititi is best known for directing the movies Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), as well as the black comedy film Jojo Rabbit (2019).
Waititi, who is married to singer Rita Ora, is elated to join the cast.
“I was really thinking of my (now teenage) daughters when the role came to me,” he said.
“I can’t wait to unleash this absolutely mental Viscount character on audiences. It’s dark, it’s weird, it’s me!”
David Walliams added: “FING! is such a fun and visual story with so many flights of fancy and I can’t wait to see it come to life on screen.
“To have Taika join the cast is absolutely thrilling as well. He’s a fantastic comedy performer, writer and director and I know he’ll have enormous fun playing the villainous role of the Viscount.”
The ambitious fantasy feature film is led by a world-class creative team, co-written by three-time BAFTA award winner, David Walliams and Emmy-award winner, Kevin Cecil (Veep, Gnomeo & Juliet) with multi-award-winning director Jeffrey Walker (Apple Cider Vinegar, The Portable Door, The Artful Dodger) at the helm.
Executive producers are Walliams and Shana Levine (The Dry), and Sky’s Head of Original Film, Andrew Orr, alongside Emmy® Award winning producer Jo Sargent (Absolutely Fabulous, Malory Towers) and co-producer Todd Fellman (The Portable Door). Special effects have been developed with world-renowned, New Zealand based concept designers at Wētā Workshop.
Principal filming commenced this February at Screen Queensland Studios in Brisbane, Australia secured through Screen Queensland’s Production Attraction Strategy.
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The film is an official Australian UK co-production led by Jo Sargent from London-based King Bert Productions, and Todd Fellman from Queensland’s Story Bridge Films; with AGC Studios co-financing and handling worldwide sales and distribution.
FING! will be released theatrically in Australia and New Zealand via Transmission, then exclusively on Stan, as a Stan Original Film. Sky is developing the film in the UK. Financing provided by Elevate Media Capital. Stan Executive Producers are Cailah Scobie and Alicia Brown.
The Stan Original Film FING! is currently in production.
FING! will be released theatrically in Australia and New Zealand via Transmission, then exclusively on Stan, as a Stan Original Film.
Nine Entertainment Co (the publisher of this website) owns and operates the streaming service Stan.
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