Wenham to star in Cox recovery

AUSTRALIAN actor David Wenham will star in Force of Destiny, a film directed by his friend, Paul Cox (pictured), and based on Cox’s personal battle with liver cancer.

‘ ‘ T h e f i l m i s v e r y heavily based on Paul’s experiences. Having said t h a t , he d i d f u l l - o n research for the project and had to undergo a liver transplant himself to write the script,’’ Wenham says with a smile.

Force of Destiny is Cox’s return to film making after his liver transplant on Boxing Day 2011.

Wenham ( Lord of the Rings, 300), says Cox’s experiences helped create a harrowing but beautiful script with which he was proud to be involved.

‘‘I think it’s going to be a real gift to have Paul alongside me, and offer insight on a lot of the things that occur in the script,’’ he says.

The pair have been friends since they worked together on 1999 art house film Molokai.

The film will be based on Cox’s book Tales from the Cancer Ward and subsequent documentary The Dinner Party, which portrays a dinner party at Cox’s home, where eight liver transplant recipients share their stories. His feature will focus on a man dying from liver disease who falls in love while he awaits a transplant.

Force of Destiny is currently in production, and is due to begin filming next year.