Ever wondered what the equivalent of The Birds (1963) or Sharknado (2013) is in Australia? Americans may have some of the most cinematic historical events to portray on film; the War of Independence, Civil War, World War II, and even the Vietnam War have made for some of the best films in history. However, other countries have their own remarkable battles that have been portrayed time and time again for their audiences. And for Australians, it's the Emu War.
In 1932, Western Australian farmers were fed up with emus destroying their crops. Frustrated and unable to hunt down the large amount of them, the farmers turned to the Australian Army for help. Armed with machine guns against some territorial birds, the Army would find flocks and fire on them until they were satisfied with their gains. However, the clever emus figured out their plan and began staying in packs of thousands. These emus were no ordinary birds; they were virtually unkillable. They formed guerilla tactics and would often surround small groups of soldiers. Ultimately, and hilariously, the Australian Army lost its war with the emus.
To this day, the war is an excellent reminder of sacrifice in the face of great odds. Well, not really. The amusing story has been teased for 90 years. Finally, Australian audiences are getting a film that reflects the absurdity of a war with emus in The Emu War. Set for release in later October, the story follows Major Meredith who is tormented by his son's kidnapping at the emus's hands. He vows to rescue his son and kill the emus' leader, the Queen Emu. This time around, emus have weapons too.
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Excited viewers got a taste of the action in a recently dropped trailer packed with all the essential elements of the actual war: fire, cheesy lines, purposefully terrible CGI, and emus with machine guns. Staggered with a cast of Australian comedy royalty, the film will surely bring a much-needed intake of laughs for an underpublicized event. Produced by production company Umbrella Entertainment, general manager Ari Harrison shared his excitement about the film. "We could not be prouder to support the retelling of one of Australia's most ridiculous and entertaining moments in history."
