'Leviticus' Star Joe Bird Boards Australian Thriller 'Crashout'

Mar 12, 2026 3:00am PT ‘Leviticus’ Star Joe Bird Joins Catherine Laga’aia in Australian Gen Z Thriller ‘Crashout’ (EXCLUSIVE) By Naman Ramachandran Plus Icon Naman Ramachandran Latest Zhang Ziyi, Liu Haoran, Terrance Lau Feted at Hong Kong’s Asian Film Awards 2 hours ago Naseeruddin Shah, Nana Patekar, Sanjay Kapoor Lead Indian Streamer Amazon MX Player’s Most Expansive Slate Yet, Topping 150 Shows for 2026 5 hours ago Built to Last: How Ireland Supports Thriving Production, Post and VFX Businesses 17 hours ago See All Casting Networks/Kate Williams/Sally Flegg Joe Bird has been cast alongside Catherine Laga’aia in “Crashout,” a Gen Z satirical thriller from Australian production banner Deadhouse Films. Production is set to begin later this month. Bird arrives at the project on the back of considerable momentum. His latest film, “Leviticus” – a queer horror title that premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival to strong critical notices – was acquired by Neon in a seven-figure deal and is set to screen at SXSW this month. He previously appeared in A24’s horror breakout “Talk to Me,” which took in over $90 million at the worldwide box office, and most recently featured in Warwick Thornton’s colonial-era Western “Wolfram,” which bowed in competition at this year’s Berlin Film Festival. Related Stories Edward Norton to Be Honored by Los Angeles-Italia Festival Snapchat Is Honoring DJ Khaled With a 'Lifetime Achievement Award' at Its First-Ever Snappy Awards Rounding out the ensemble is Evelyn Sims in a potential breakout role. Laga’aia, previously unveiled by Variety as the film’s lead, is set to headline Disney’s upcoming live-action “Moana.” Popular on Variety “Crashout” is written and directed by Nick Annas and produced by Helen Tuck and Enzo Tedeschi at Deadhouse Films, which recently received two AACTA nominations. Executive producers are Deanne Weir of WeirAnderson Films, alongside Bobby Romia and Tianna Roberts of the newly formed Atypical Originals. Casting is by Stephanie Pringle and Alison Fowler at Chicken and Chips Casting. Blue Finch Films is handling worldwide sales rights, excluding Australia and New Zealand. The U.K.-based sales company’s current slate also includes “Bowels of Hell,” a Rotterdam title from Oscar-winning production company RT Features; SXSW selection “Imposters”; and horror title “Dolly,” which opened theatrically through IFC earlier this month. Jump to Comments Film Festival Chiefs, Including Thierry Frémaux, Rally to the Defense of Berlinale Boss Tricia Tuttle as Her Future Hangs in the Balance Bi Gan’s Cannes Winner ‘Resurrection’ to Stream on Criterion Channel, With Home-Video Release to Follow (EXCLUSIVE) Cannes Film Festival to Unveil 2026 Lineup in April Cannes Rocks the Oscars With 19 Nominations for Competition Movies, Venice Films Land 15 Noms Park Chan-wook to Preside Over 79th Cannes Film Festival Jury Chile Selected as Guest Country of Honor at Mexico’s Guadalajara Film Festival JavaScript is required to load the comments. Loading comments...