The Australian
Edition 3FRI 04 AUG 2000, Page 008
Supreme Court in the act
By GEORGINA SAFE * Melbourne arts reporter

THE corridors of the historic and sedate Victorian Supreme Court were yesterday invaded by actors and a film crew shooting the new Australian feature The Bank.

Tight security is usual in courtroom number one, more used to criminals than celebrities.
Producer John Maynard yesterday continued the tradition with a closed-set policy to protect David Wenham and Anthony LaPaglia, stars of The Bank, from media scrutiny and curious onlookers.

The thriller, set in the world of high finance, is directed by Robert Connolly, who previously produced The Boys (which also starred Wenham).

Wenham is no stranger to the courtroom through his role as Diver Dan in the ABC's SeaChange.
Yesterday in slicked-back hair and a dark suit he was almost indistinguishable from the QCs and other suits in the court precincts, just a stone's thrown from Arenafilm's Port Melbourne production office.
QCs, their clients and curious onlookers were amused but unfazed by the first of a host of big-budget films to be shot in
Victoria before the end of the year.

The Warner Bros-Village Roadshow blockbuster Queen of the d**ned will begin filming under seven-time AFI award winning director Michael Rymer (Angel Baby) on September 25.

A St Albans warehouse with a 12,000sqm shooting area -- larger than that of all six spaces at
Sydney's Fox Studios complex combined (10,297sqm) -- will be used as stage space for the film.
Three days earlier US network CBS is due to finish shooting Blonde, a mini-series about Marilyn Monroe, produced in association with
Australia's Crawford Productions