Did You Know?

Director Peter Weir asked tribal Aboriginal actors David Gulpilil and Nandjiwarra Amagula about the script and incorporated their reactions to the finished dialogue.

The house seen in the film, owned by a lawyer (Richard Chamberlain), was rented, from a doctor. The house was situated in Adelaide's leafy suburb of Mitcham.

Katrina Sedgwick, who as a child, played one of the little Burton girls, is now the Director of the Adelaide Film Festival. This was Sedgwick's first feature film.

This Australian film was partially financed by an advance sale to the American major film company United Artists (UA) for rights to all English speaking territories outside of Canada and the USA. UA provided approximately half of this film's estimated $750-810,000 (Australian) production costs which equated to approximately $350,000 (Australian). Interestingly, UA did not actually distribute this film in the USA, World Northal Films Corporation did.

The producers of this film intended for this film to strongly reach the American market. Richard Chamberlain was imported to headline the film, American writer Petru Popescu was brought in to co-write the film and sales and distribution were set-up with American major United Artists.

Prior to the casting of Richard Chamberlain in the lead role, two Australian actors were considered. One was rejected and the other wasn't available. A short-list was made of six actors who had international recognition. Chamberlain was sent the script which he thought interesting but was at first cautious about making a film in a foreign country and with a director he was unfamiliar with. Peter Weir visited Chamberlain at the Broadway Theatre where he was starring in 'Night of the Iguana' and the two clicked. Chamberlain was then screened Weir's previous film Picnic at Hanging Rock where the film had yet to be shown at all in the USA. Chamberlain liked this film and at some time soon after this, Chamberlain was signed.

Richard Chamberlain received top / first billing, 'Olivia Hamnett' (qcv) received second billing.

Reportedly, producers Hal McElroy and Jim McElroy mortgaged their homes and their business interests in director Peter Weir's previous film Picnic at Hanging Rock so this picture could maintain its cash flow and continue production.

First and only ever Australian theatrical film for actor Richard Chamberlain. Chamberlain did however later star in the two USA-Australian produced TV series, The Thorn Birds and its sequel, The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years. The Last Wave represented Chamberlain's first visit to Australia.

Third theatrical feature film for director Peter Weir after Weir's The Cars That Eat People and Picnic at Hanging Rock. It's Weir's fourth if you count his 50 minute short-feature Homesdale as a feature.