The poster and trailer for the big new adventure comedy film Bookworm have been unveiled ahead of its  big screen release on August 8th. Shot on location in the Canterbury region, Bookworm stars acclaimed Hollywood actor Elijah Wood (Yellowjackets, Come to Daddy, The Lord of the Rings), alongside GCM's Kiwi breakout star Nell Fisher (Evil Dead Rise, Northspur), Nikki Si'ulepa  & Vanessa Stacey.

The film follows washed-up American illusionist Strawn Wise (Wood) and his long-estranged precocious daughter Mildred (Fisher), who in the midst of a family crisis, venture into the New Zealand wilderness in search of a mythical black panther.

Production searched far and wide when casting Mildred’s character, auditioning more than 300 children, but when Timpson saw Nell Fisher, he said it was a no brainer: “She’s just phenomenal. Nell has that rare quality that comes alive on screen, inhabiting a character from top to toe. She’s going to be a major talent. Watch this space.”

The film was made with financing from the Te Tumu Whakaata Taonga New Zealand Film Commission, New Zealand Screen Production Rebate, Talon Entertainment, Orogen Entertainment, Screen Canterbury and Images and Sound. The film is distributed in New Zealand and Australia by Rialto Distribution. Rialto Distribution has released over 35 local films theatrically over the previous 30 years, including box office hit Muru which was the highest grossing local film of 2022.