‘Mad Max’ Duo Alyla Browne & Elsa Pataky Lead Cast In ‘Chiquita’

EXCLUSIVE: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga duo Alyla Browne and Elsa Pataky are among the ensemble cast for Australian feature Chiquita, which has started production in Byron Bay, Australia.

Set against the world of endurance horse riding, the movie is described as “an uplifting family adventure about two outsiders; a rebellious teenage girl and a mistreated rescue horse who form an unlikely bond at a pivotal moment in their lives.”

Australian distributor Umbrella will release the film in the 2027 summer school holiday corridor.

Written and directed by Kiah Roache-Turner, based on a story by Mark Morrissey, the feature is produced by Blake Northfield and Michelle Krumm for Bronte Studios and Mark Morrissey for First Option Pictures.

Also starring are Michael Caton (The Castle), Stephen Peacocke (The Newsreader), Martin Sacks (Blue Heelers) and rising Australian actor Aswan Reid (The New Boy).

Major production investment comes from Screen Australia, in association with Screen NSW. International sales are being handled by Essential Film Group. Additional financing comes from Obsidian Creek Capital.

Director of photography is Jonathan Baker; first assistant director is Jamie Crooks, while production designer is Tylah Pratt, and costume designer Tracey Rose. Hair and makeup designer is Nele Pandis, and editor Gabriella Muir. Sandra Tahmasby Baxter serves as Head of Production for Bronte Studios.

““What I love about Chiquita is that underneath this big, cinematic adventure is a really simple relationship between a girl and a horse,” said Roache-Turner. “They’re both outsiders, they’re both pretty wild, and neither of them has much interest in doing what they’re told. Somehow they find each other. That gives us the heart of the movie, and then we get to surround it with galloping horses, endurance racing and these huge Australian landscapes. It’s a proper big screen family film with real scale.”

“From the beginning, we saw Chiquita as an Australian story with the ability to travel,” added Northfield and Krumm. “It has all the ingredients of a great family adventure with an extraordinary young protagonist, humour, heart, horses and a spectacular landscape but underneath that is a deeply relatable story about grief, family and finding where you belong. With this cast, Kiah’s vision and Essential Film Group taking the film to the international market, we’re incredibly excited about the audience this film can reach.”