Cate Blanchett, Robert Redford and director James Vanderbilt have hit Sydney for the start of production on the “Rathergate” biopic Truth, which is scheduled for an eight-week shoot here over the Australian spring.

NSW arts minister Troy Grant said the film is expected to spend more than $9.6 million (AUS $11 million) in direct production expenditure in the state and create 208 jobs both in front of and behind the camera.

The NSW state government has provided incentives to Truth producers through its NSW Trade & Investment’s State Investment Attraction Scheme.

In Truth, based on Mary Mapes’ memoir, Truth and Duty, Redford plays veteran CBS newsman Dan Rather while Blanchett plays Mapes, his producer. The film centers on the firestorm that erupted in September of 2004 after Rather reported that George W. Bush had received special treatment while serving in the Air National Guard during the Vietnam War. It marks the directorial debut of Vanderbilt.

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Truth is produced by Brad Fischer (Zodiac, Shutter Island), Vanderbilt and William Sherak of Mythology Entertainment, Brett Ratner of RatPac Entertainment, and Doug Mankoff and Andy Spaulding of Echo Lake Entertainment. The film is financed by the Blue Lake Media Fund and RatPac Entertainment, with support from the NSW government.

“Truth is an incredibly special project, and a story that we have been passionate about telling for a long time. We are grateful for the support and resources that Screen NSW has facilitated and the NSW government has provided,” said Fischer. “We look forward to working with our incredibly talented local cast and crew and hope Truth will be the first of many great collaborations between Mythology and NSW.”

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