While he played a noble soldier in “1917,” George MacKay’s latest film “The True History of the Kelly Gang” casts him as a ruthless, murderous outlaw and gang leader with a taste for blood and revenge.
MacKay stars with Russell Crowe and Nicholas Hoult in this western-esque thriller from director Justin Kurzel that’s set during a violent period in Australian history.
“Many would call me the coldest blooded murderer ever, but others knowing the truth would call me a hero,” MacKay says with menace in the first trailer for the film.
“The True History of the Kelly Gang” follows MacKay as Ned Kelly, who as a boy in 19th-century Australia is sold into the care of a notorious “bushranger” played by Crowe. He then learns he comes from a long line of warriors and eventually leads an army of anarchists against the imposing rule of the English army in a time when Australian colonizers were constantly fighting for survival.
The film is based on a novel by Peter Carey and is a twist on some iconic Australian folklore. Shaun Grant wrote the screenplay, and the cast also includes Essie Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Charlie Hunnam, Sean Keenan, Earl Cave, Marlon Williams, Louis Hewison and Orlando Schwerdt.
“Kelly Gang” debuted at TIFF last year, where it was acquired by IFC Films. As of now, amid the coronavirus panic, the movie is slated for a limited theatrical release on April 24 in New York followed by a May 1 release in Los Angeles, and it will be available for On Demand and Digital on May 8.
Check out the full synopsis below and the trailer above.
Set amidst the grueling badlands of 19th-century Australia, legendary outlaw Ned Kelly (George MacKay,1917, Ophelia) grows up under the bloody and uncompromising rule of the English. Food is scarce, survival is filled with daily strife, and every opportunity the colonizers take to make their victims feel powerless is inflicted with searing brutality. In a desperate attempt to prime him for rebellion, Ned Kelly’s mother (Essie Davis, The Babadook), sells him off into the hands of the notorious bushranger Harry Power (Russel Crowe, Cinderella Man, L.A. Confidential), where the young bandit discovers he comes from a line of warriors called the Sons of Sieve. Fueled by his roots and a voracious appetite for revenge, Ned Kelly leads an anarchist army to wreak havoc on their oppressors in one of the most audacious attacks the country has ever seen. Grimy, gritty, and full of action-packed thrills, True History of the Kelly Gang brings a revolutionary twist to an iconic piece of folklore. Based on the novel by Peter Carey.