Olivia's Back with Jack
STARRING role in a new $10 million Aussie feature film is set to lure Olivia Newton-John homo for Christmas. Olivia will join Ocker international star Jack Thompson in their real-life home turf of Northern NSW for Home For Christmas, a Santa tale with a distinctly Down Under twist. Old mates and acting veterans Olivia and Jack will be on hand to guide a screen newcomer. In a casting coup, producers have signed brilliant young guitarist Nathan Cavaleri, 14, to play Olivia’s son in the feel-good film.
Currently making his acting debut in another Australian movie, an animal adventure called Paws, Nathan will join the film on a career high he’s performing with Michael Jackson in concert in November. Sources say the script was written 10 years ago by a team of Perth writers and has awaited the right talent and time to make the project work. “This has been talked about for a few months and it is something I would very much like to do, but it depends on the timing,” Olivia told Woman’s Day.
It will be made by Youngheart Productions, the team behind the world- wide environmental animation hit FernGully The Last Rainforest. Finance is in place and the potential hit is only waiting on a distributor to snap it up. “It is a family movie and even the production has a family feel everyone’s old mates,” says a source. Jack and Olivia have known each other for years and are very keen to work together. They’ll virtually be working from home the production office will be based in Byron Bay, not far from the country property Olivia used to share with her husband, Matt Lattanzi.
“Jack and his own family live on a farm in the northern NSW district, too. Both of them love the area and have campaigned together on environmental issues they fought to save the real FernGully from a proposed dam.” Olivia has starred in two Christmas Tele-movies A Christmas Story, co-starring Gregory Harrison and featuring a cameo appearance by her daughter Chloe; and A Mom For Christmas But according to the source, the new cinema film will leave the others in the shade. “Olivia plays a mum-of-two living on a ranch in a country town a quirky, eccentric and very Aussie place. Nathan plays her son, who discovers Santa Claus crash-landed in a paddock!” Jack will play the jolly old Santa but don’t expect to see the star in the traditional red suit. The North Pole bound Santa has to go bush and dresses accordingly.
“Santa is disguised as a swagman until they can patch up his sleigh and send him home for Christmas,” the source says. “That turns the whole story into a fish out of water yarn Santa caught in 100 degree heat when he’s used to the ice and snow just like Crocodile Dundee.”
For now, Home For Christmas is scheduled to begin production in early January for a Christmas 1997 release. It will be produced by Wayne Young associate producer of Crocodile Dundee and his son, Scott. The pair have a long association with Olivia. Together with Beyond Television, they produced three of the popular Wild Life series for the Nine Network, with Olivia as host. Despite Nathan’s obvious guitar skills and Olivia’s singing talent, Home For Christmas will not be a musical but it will feature a musical scene.
Audiences may be surprised to see none other than Jack performing friends say he is a virtuoso on the harmonica. “But Nathan does have a guitar,” the source hints. “Let’s just say it’s a sweet film with a lot of heart.”
After announcing last April that she and Matt had separated after 10 years of marriage, Olivia spent last Christmas in Malibu with Chloe, and Matt returned to be with Chloe for the holiday. But this year Olivia is hoping to have Christmas in Australia. While the star is getting plenty of television exposure through her series of Panasonic commercials, she specifically geared her work schedule this year to allow a three-month break so she could spend the summer school holidays with Chloe.
Olivia allowed herself a quick trip to Germany to see her nephew Emerson make his professional track debut during the German Grand Prix. The one job she agreed to do over that time was a trip she and Chloe could enjoy together riding horses through the Irish countryside for a special segment in the BBC’s Holiday program.
Olivia’s sister and Emerson’s mum, Rona, says Chloe is the main focus of Olivia’s life at this point. “Since she’s separated from Matt, she just wants to do everything she can to ensure Chloe feels settled and secure in her life,” says Rona. Rona admits that she would really like to see her sister find a new man and fall in love. There has been plenty of speculation that this has already happened but if that’s the case, Olivia isn’t saying.
Asked if her new, even more youthful look might have something to do with her being in love, she just laughs. “Oh, those questions,” Olivia says dismissively. “I’m just very happy with my life right now.”
While Home For Christmas will bring Olivia home to Australia, she still has no firm plans about whether she’ll return here to live. “I think, eventually, we’ll all build houses back in Australia and return,” Rona remarks. “But basically, for now, LA is where the work is for Olivia.”