Yaz Haddad Hunts a Big Cat in Comedy-Horror ‘Bloody Legend’

Thundercat Productions and Crybaby have tapped Australian actor and radio host Yaz Haddad to headline Bloody Legend, a comedy-horror feature that begins principal photography in Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains of New South Wales this month, reports Variety.

Yaz Haddad, who co-hosts the weekend show Yaz & Feras on Sydney’s 2DayFM, takes on the role of Benny, a social-media obsessive from Western Sydney whose bid to capture proof of a mythical big cat on camera spirals into something far more dangerous.

“The premise draws on an enduring piece of Australian folklore: mysterious sightings of a large black panther-like creature roaming the Blue Mountains bushland have been reported for decades, with dozens of alleged encounters logged each year and an incident involving a local teenager in 2002 among the more sensational entries in the public record. The film leans into the legend’s comedy potential while pushing into genuine horror territory as Benny’s viral ambitions put him and his friends in mortal danger.”

Screen newcomers Hamze Taha and Marcus Trgo play Benny’s mates, with both making their feature debuts. Veteran actor Tony Rahme, known to regional audiences from Shortland Street, joins them in the core group. The wider cast features Natassia Halabi (Apple Cider Vinegar), comedians Fady Kassab (I’m So Sorry for Your Loss) and Cameron James (Bump), New Zealand actor Ben Fransham (What We Do in the Shadows, Time Bandits), Dom Littrich (Inspired Unemployed), Kathleen O’Dwyer (The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart), Will Ward (Housos, Pirates of the Caribbean), Benjamin Cremen (The Artful Dodger Season 2, Superwog) and comedian-influencers Sarah Michaels (Sarah Michaels Show) and Nariman Dein.

Behind the camera, the film is written by Susan Taylor – a Sydney publicist who has pivoted to fiction writing and screenwriting – who co-directs alongside . co-founded Crybaby productions with and brings more than two decades of directing experience across documentary, music video and large-scale broadcast work, including the Sydney New Year’s Eve online broadcast, which attracted a global audience of 38 million viewers. is Crybaby’s first feature film and ’s return to long-form narrative.