Gone Missing, An Aussie Urban Legend Horror Tale

The Blue Mountains are part of Australia’s Great Dividing Range that runs along the continent’s East Coast. Just to the west of Sydney within that range lay the Blue Mountains, and there lies a local myth about a giant black cat prowling the area. The story is something akin to those about wild dingoes only this is the feral feline version. One popular telling is that the giant cat is a panther that was once kept as a pet and then for some reason or another either escaped or was set loose. Of course, this mysterious cat has never been seen and it can’t be proven that it even exists, but the scary notion of unknown animals lurking in the shadows is always great fodder for a scary movie.

The scary movie in question, "Gone Missing," will start filming soon, centering around six friends who go camping only to become prey for these monster cats. The Sydney Morning Herald quoted producer Kelvin Crumplin on the subject of turning this urban myth into a horror flick; "[This is] the only way we can really get close to telling the story of these mystic beasts, which seem to stalk communities all over the world. It's a story based on a myth that has many questions unanswered. It's a bit like the prehistoric tree that they didn't find until a few years ago - what else is out there?"

The Herald also reported that Ed Lyons, who is directing and co-writing, is making tall genre comparisons by promising to deliver a cross between "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and "An American Werewolf in London." Apparently, Lyons was struck with the idea for the film when taking a bushwalk and discussing the local folklore with his girlfriend. Now, he has high horror ambitions. There’s even hopeful gossip that two well-known but unnamed Australian actors might take cameos in the film. Working on a $1.5 million budget with some good creepy campfire material as its springboard, "Gone Missing" will aim to bring the Aussie urban legend to horror fans everywhere.