Neighbours actress, 19-year-old Aussie Caitlin Stasey will be starring in a new Australian blockbuster – Tomorrow, When The War Began, based on John Marsden’s best-selling series of novels.

Stasey has landed the lead role of Ellie Linton in Tomorrow, When The War Began, which is a series that has sold nearly two million copies in Australia and New Zealand, spanning seven books with a spin-off series titled The Ellie Chronicles. We’re thinking that this could be huge!

In-demand Australian screenwriter Stuart Beattie (Pirates Of The Carribean, Australia, G.I. Joe) is making his directorial debut on the film, and is aiming to make a “character-based but commercial action movie set in Australia that could compete on the international stage.”

The first novel follows a group of outback teenagers who decide to wage a guerrilla war after Australia is invaded by a foreign power. It’s just been announced that 80s classic Red Dawn (1984), which starred a young Charlie Sheen and Patrick Swayze, is going to be remade. Both films have similar themes with Red Dawn American teenagers getting together an army to fight off a Soviet invasion in middle-America. The new version of Red Dawn will actually star Australian talent and former stars of Home and Away, Chris Hemsworth and Isabel Lucas.

Book fans will already know that there is lots of action, romance, suspence and drama throughout the Tomorrow, When The War Began series, making it an exciting film project.

Paramount Pictures will handle distribution and marketing of the film in Australia and New Zealand. Whether the remaining six novels and three follow-up books will also be made in to films depends on the success of the first. Tomorrow, When The War Began will be produced entirely in Australia with principal photography beginning at the end of September in the Hunter Valley.