Shark keen to back Dundee
FORGET those Marvel heroes – the next big screen battle could be Australia’s Great White Shark taking on Crocodile Dundee, if Greg Norman has anything to do with it.
Following the monster success of Tourism Australia’s big screen teaser during this week’s Super Bowl, the golfing superstar has thrown his weight behind our #BringBackDundee petition to revive the film franchise.
News Corporation can reveal the proud Aussie – who themed his company Christmas party around the Dundee films last year – offered his acting services to Tourism Australia and any support they needed to “bring Australia to the big screen again”.
Norman yesterday told his 92,000-plus Instagram followers to get behind the movement, hot on the heels of the mock movie trailer going viral in the lead-up to the NFL blockbuster on Monday.
Tourism Australia’s managing director John O’Sullivan said the sporting giant had reached out after the trailer was released, excited and enthusiastic to play a role in any new promotion.
“The cameo film featuring Aussiewood’s finest really took things to a new level,” he said. “When you start to get Australian superstars like Greg Norman getting in touch to offer their services and support the campaign, you know you must have come up with something pretty special.”
Adding to the momentum around a Dundee 4, comedy heavyweight Judd Apatow has declared his interest in the project. The director and producer of comedy blockbusters The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up tweeted his support for a Crocodile Dundee reboot, saying he wants to make it.
“Dundee came to America. Now he has a kid he didn’t know about. What day do I start ...” Apatow tweeted.
The hugely successful writer/director/producer weighed in after a tweet by Eastbound & Down actor Ike Barinholtz, who said he was “legitimately bummed there is not a new Crocodile Dundee movie” being made.
Official ratings for the US telecast confirm the ad was broadcast to an audience of 103.4 million viewers, with an additional 2.6 million people watching NBC’s coverage (including commercials) on the network’s website and app.
But it is the social media reach of the clever clip which has rocketed the Tourism Australia ad to the top of Super Bowl charts.
US industry website, Ad Age declared the Dundee clip had beaten out Amazon, Doritos and Budweiser as the most watched online – snatching the commercial crown from all the locals.