**EXCLUSIVE: Oscar Winner Geoffrey Rush to Headline Sports Comedy *Shearing The Love***
Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush is set to headline *Shearing The Love*, a sports comedy marking the directorial debut of New Zealand writer and producer Tom Hern. Hern’s notable works include *The Panthers*, *The Dark Horse*, and *Shadow In The Cloud*.
*Shine* and *Pirates of the Caribbean* star Rush will star alongside Thai actor Dom Hetrakul (*The White Lotus* Season 3) and New Zealand’s Daniel Musgrove (*Westside*). Musgrove also co-wrote the original screenplay with Natalie Medlock, Tom Hern, and Nua Finau.
Principal photography is scheduled to commence in New Zealand during the first quarter of 2026. The film has already secured Australia-New Zealand and UK distribution deals, thanks to pre-buys from Rialto and Vertigo. Essential Film Group will handle sales at the upcoming American Film Market.
### About *Shearing The Love*
*Shearing The Love* is a sports comedy set against the backdrop of New Zealand’s Golden Shears — the Olympics of competitive sheep shearing. The story follows Brian Castlehead (played by Daniel Musgrove), a washed-up hairstylist to the stars, who enters the shearing competition world to prove to his father (Geoffrey Rush) that he’s a real man.
### Production and Team
The film is produced by Halaifonua (Nua) Finau, whose previous film *Red, White & Brass* became New Zealand’s highest-grossing local title in 2023. Executive producers include Andy Thompson, James Norrie, and Nina Kolokouri of Essential Film Group; Kelly Rogers of Rialto Distribution International; Ed Caffrey of Vertigo Releasing; and Brad Smeele.
Finau and Hern’s production company, Tavake (*Madam*), is producing the film.
### Director’s Vision
Tom Hern commented on the project:
“Shearing is a raucous, heartwarming sports comedy in the vein of the greats from the early 2000s — *Talladega Nights*, *Kingpin* — but with plenty of heart. It’s a film that, through the belly laughs, declares: ‘wherever you come from, whatever you’re into, the best thing you can ever be is you.’”
### Producer’s Take
Producer Nua Finau added:
“Amid a challenging climate in the indie scene, this project has rocketed into greenlight. This reflects the universal, fun appeal of the film.”
### Distributor’s Comments
Kelly Rogers, CEO of Rialto Distribution, said:
“*Shearing The Love* is comedy gold, a genuine crowd-pleaser. Packed with laughs, outrageous moments, and heaps of energy, it’s impossible not to get hooked from the very first scene. Audiences are going to be laughing, cheering, and talking about it long after the credits roll.”
Ed Caffrey of Vertigo Releasing remarked:
“We’re so excited to be a part of the *Shearing The Love* team. It’s one of the funniest scripts we’ve ever read, and we believe it will be a comedy classic!”
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Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting New Zealand-Australia co-production set to bring laughs and heart to international audiences.
https://deadline.com/2025/11/geoffrey-rush-dom-hetrakul-dan-musgrove-shearing-the-love-1236613880/
