Becker Entertainment's December Boys, a coming-of-age drama, was filmed on location in South Australia and at the South Australian Film Corporation Studio. The film marks Daniel Radcliffe's first major role outside the ‘Harry Potter' character. He plays Maps, one of four orphan boys. The three other orphans are played by Christian Byers (Spark), Lee Cormie (Misty) and James Fraser (Spit). Jack Thompson co-stars as Bandy McAnsh, the retired naval officer who takes charge of the boys during their summer holiday. Sullivan Stapleton and Victoria Hill play the young couple who befriend the boys. Ralph Cotterill is Shellbank, the old fisherman. Frank Gallacher plays Father Scully; Kris McQuade plays Bandy's wife Mrs. McAnsh and newcomer Teresa Palmer plays Maps’ love interest, Lucy. The "December Boys" are a close-knit band of four adolescent orphans all with the same birth month. The boys' hope of ever being adopted grows slimmer with each passing year, and it isn't until their first summer away from the orphanage, that the fading hope of finding parents becomes a real possibility - for one of them. The boys are befriended by a young couple who, unable to fall pregnant, decide to adopt one of the boys. The boys compete to be the most adoptable, severely testing their friendships when long gestating feelings of rejection explode to the surface. The boys' deep friendship eventually overcomes their rivalries, sealing forever the strong ties that bind them. December Boys is directed by Rod Hardy whose credits include Buffalo Girls, The X-Files, and The Practice. Richard Becker produces from a screenplay by Marc Rosenberg, based on Michael Noonan's highly-acclaimed novel.
The film is financed by Film Finance Corporation of Australia, South Australian Film Corporation, with German investor MB 2 Film & Media GmbH.