The trailer for the highly anticipated local feature film starring Julian Dennison, Rhys Darby and Minnie Driver, Uproar, which will have its nationwide cinema release in October, has been released today.
Hot on the heels of its screening at the revered Toronto International Film Festival next month, Uproar is a movie for all those who enjoyed Boy and Hunt for the Wilderpeople.
Alongside Dennison (Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Godzilla vs Kong, Deadpool 2, Paper Planes), Uproar is brought to life by a cast including local legends Rhys Darby (Jumanji, Our Flag Means Death, Trolls, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, What we do in the Shadows, Flight of the Conchords, The Boat that Rocked and many more), emerging Aotearoa talent Erana James (The Wilds, Changeover), James Rolleston (Boy, The Dark Horse, The Breaker Upperers, Pork Pie), Academy Award Nominee Minnie Driver and newcomer Jada Fa’atui.
Uproar is a story about connection and finding your place in the world. It tells the tale of 17-year-old Josh Waaka (played by Dennison) and is set in Dunedin in 1981 during a time when the rugby-obsessed country was divided over the arrival of the South African Springboks team, sparking nationwide protests.
Under pressure from home and school to conform, Josh is inspired by the protests and by a newfound passion for performing to find his own voice. A sequence of events sees Josh embrace his community and his whakapapa that takes him and his whānau on a journey towards healing.
Rolleston plays Josh’s big brother Jamie.
“It’s funny how things kind of come back around. When I saw Julian on Hunt for the Wilderpeople, I always thought it would be awesome to act with this young man. Both working our first jobs with Taika Waititi and now to be acting as siblings together on this film, is pretty cool, I think! Working with him for the first time and seeing another young Māori man doing his thing is awesome,” Rolleston said.
“Ultimately, Uproar recognises that everyone comes with their own āhua, or shape, and celebrates this fact,” co-directors Middleditch and Bennett say.
“This film is full of heart, for all communities and ages, and tells an important story that everyone will find a connection to. We certainly made Uproar for the big screen.”
Uproar opens in Aotearoa on October 5.