Liev Schreiber Joins P.J. Hogan's 'Mental' Starring Toni Collette

by Simon Dang
July 25, 2011 2:16 AM
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Anthony LaPaglia & Rebecca Gibney Also Apart Of Cast

PJ Hogan, the director behind '90s hits "Muriel's Wedding"and "My Best Friend's Wedding," is once again returning behind the camera again, this time reuniting with his Emmy-winning former lead, Toni Collette for "Mental."

The project has now rounded out its cast with the strong additions of Liev Schreiber, Anthony LaPaglia and Rebecca Gibney as production got underway this week for the story of Shaz (Collette), a crazy hotheaded hitchhiker who is brought on to nanny five girls by their father, a philandering politician, after his wife is hospitalized for a nervous breakdown. No word on who Schreiber and LaPaglia will play (one of them will obviously be the aforementioned father) though Gibney will play Shaz's older sister.

"Like 'Muriel's Wedding,' 'Mental' is a comedy laced with pain and brimming with flawed but lovable characters," Hogan explained. "Shaz is hilarious, outrageous, dangerous, courageous, inspiring, heart-breaking and totally, totally mad." Gibney, an Australian television staple, further discussed the film adding that she "will be even heavier in the film" after gaining 20 pounds.

Jerry Zucker, Janet Zucker, Todd Fellman and Jocelyn Moorhouse will produce "Mental" for what will be Hogan's first Australian film since 1994's "Muriel's Wedding."