Director PJ Hogan has put the finishing casting touches to his new local film Mental

Director PJ Hogan has put the finishing casting touches to his new local film Mental Image

MENTAL … Film director P.J. Hogan casting new actors to appear with Toni Collette for his new film. Picture: Bob Barker Source: The Daily Telegraph

DIRECTOR PJ Hogan has put the finishing casting touches to his new local film Mental, with the addition of more big Hollywood names on top of Toni Collette.

Filming of the Tweed Heads-set comedy begins in Queensland on Monday, with Naomi Watts' American partner Liev Schreiber (X Men Origins: Wolverine) cast as an Australian shark-hunter.

Without A Trace and Balibo star Anthony LaPaglia will take the lead role of politician Barry Moochmore, who heads the family the story is based on, while Kerry Fox, Caroline Goodall, Sam Clark and Deborah Mailman round out the adult characters.

Hogan – the man behind Muriel's Wedding, My Best Friend's Wedding and Confessions Of A Shopaholic – has also cast five unknowns to play the daughters of Barry Moochmore and wife Shirley – to be played by Rebecca Gibney.

"Like Muriel's Wedding, Mental is a comedy laced with pain and brimming with flawed but lovable characters," Hogan said yesterday. "Shaz (Collette) is hilarious, dangerous, courageous, inspiring, heartbreaking and totally, totally mad."

Hitchhiker Shaz becomes the family's nanny after Gibney's character has a nervous breakdown.

Hogan wrote the screenplay, which he says is based on his personal story.

The film is being produced by Jerry Zucker, Hogan's collaborator on My Best Friend's Wedding.

Director PJ Hogan has put the finishing casting touches to his new local film Mental