Ham originally sold the rights of the novel in the mid-2000s and wrote the screenplay for the film herself but the project was shelved.[30] Sue Maslin, along with Film Art Media, acquired the rights to the novel for the film adaptation in 2009 and brought Jocelyn Moorhouse on board as director.[31][32] Moorhouse also adapted a screenplay from Ham's novel. Universal Pictures acquired the distribution rights of the film in Australia and New Zealand.[33]
In August 2013, it was announced that Kate Winslet and Judy Davis had joined the cast of the film as Myrtle "Tilly" and Molly Dunnage respectively.[34] Liam Hemsworth as Teddy McSwiney along with Isla Fisher as Gertrude Pratt and Elizabeth Debicki as Una joined the cast in early May 2014,[35][36] but later Fisher and Debicki dropped out and were replaced by Sarah Snook and Sacha Horler respectively. In October 2014, Hugo Weaving joined the cast as Sergeant Farrat along with Caroline Goodall, Shane Bourne, Kerry Fox, Rebecca Gibney, Shane Jacobson, Alison Whyte and Genevieve Lemon.[37][38]
Principal photography began from October 17, 2014, in Melbourne, Australia at Docklands Studios[39] and continued all over Victoria, Australia and was finished on December 13, 2014.[40][41] It was released on October 29, 2015 in Australia.[8]
