Oscar Winner Geoffrey Rush will star in a film version of the Aboriginal musical ”Bran Nue Dae”, according to The Australian.

The touring musical told the story of a young boy’s flight from mission school back to his remote Kimberley community.

I remember going to see the musical in Melbourne – the Arts Centre, I believe – as part of a high school drama class one year. I recall it being quite amusing… and surprisingly suggestive.

The film will also feature Ernie Dingo (“Crocodile Dundee II”) as the wily Uncle Tadpole, a character he was also played in the stage version, and musician Missy Higgins in her acting debut.

Rush said he had just come from shooting a Korean-Western film called ‘’Laundry Warrior’’ in Auckland.

“And now it’s a black musical in Broome. I guess I’m going through my whacko cross-cultural phase,” he said.