The Correspondent is scheduled to be theatrically released in Australia on 17 April 2025.
Synopsis
The film is based on the real-life story of Australian foreign correspondent and journalist Peter Greste, who was arrested in Cairo after being accused of spreading false news and aiding the Muslim Brotherhood.
The Correspondent is a legal thriller film directed by Kriv Stenders from a screenplay by Peter Duncan. The screenplay, written by Duncan, is adapted from Greste's 2017 memoir The First Casualty. Geoffrey Hall was responsible for the cinematography, and the film was produced by Carmel Travers.[2]
The film wrapped production in March 2024, after six weeks of shooting in Sydney.[3][1]
When discussing his performance, Roxburgh said he made no attempt to imitate Greste; instead he focused on "empathetically reaching into his experience as much as I could". He described the shoot as a "gruelling and horrendous" due to the confined, claustrophobic nature of the story and production.[4]
Release
The first trailer was released on the 24 September 2024.[5] The film premiered during the opening night of the 2024 Adelaide Film Festival on 23 October.[6]
The Correspondent is scheduled to be released by Maslow Entertainment in Australia on 17 April 2025,[7] after initially having been scheduled on 26 December 2024.[8]
Critical reception
Screenhub's Stephen A Russell said the film stands tall on Roxburgh’s "capable shoulders even as it zips through the ordeal at a fair clip".[8] While Penelope Debelle said Roxburgh's performance manages to encapsulate "Greste’s unshowy character" and is "notably quiet... devoid of sentimentality and free of heroics".[9]
The film received praise for Duncan's "strong" screenplay.[9]
