LONDON , England ( CNN ) -- Cannibalism , Tasmanian tigers and a good dose of Australian humor : These are the ingredients of the latest film from down under , the intriguingly titled `` Dying Breed . '' Left to right : producer Rod Morris , writer/producer Michael Boughan , director Jody Dwyer , and actors Nathan Phillips and Leigh Whannell . The film is inspired by the story of Alexander `` Pieman '' Pierce , who , in the 1820s , escaped from one of the most feared penal colonies in Tasmania and survived in the bush by eating his fellow escapees . `` Dying Breed '' suggests that `` Pieman '' Pierce 's descendents today live deep in the jungle , feeding off the flesh of innocent travelers . Director , Jody Dwyer , Australia-born but raised in the UK , hopes that his first feature-length film has managed to steer clear of typical horror cliches . `` You have to acknowledge there is a certain formula [ to the horror genre ] , but at the same time you need a point of difference . I wanted to present characters that were credible , that had depth , '' he told CNN . To further break away from convention , Dwyer has tried to make sure that this is not a typical Australian film . The cast do n't `` feel '' Australian and it is set in lush jungle , not a red desert . The Australian lead sports an Irish accent , while in the jungle of Tasmania there is n't a kangaroo or cork hat in sight . `` I was very conscious of giving it a commercially viable feel by being international without being parochial , '' Dwyer explained . `` I think there is a real danger of Australian films becoming particularly art house because they present Aussies as battlers of the outback . '' Dwyer questions whether Baz Lurhman 's upcoming blockbuster , `` Australia , '' is doing anything to change this image : `` That movie deals with the slightly stereotypical image of Australia being a land of the farmer and the ground and the cattle , '' he told CNN . `` Dying Breed , '' as a horror , is already breaking from what most people consider an Australian film . `` Crocodile Dundee , '' `` Priscilla , Queen of the Desert '' and `` Muriel 's Wedding '' are the films typically associated with the Australian film industry . But comedy 's hold on Australia has loosened in recent years . Since 2000 Australia has produced a series of successful horror flicks , culminating in 2005 's `` Wolf Creek . '' Made for a mere $ 1 million , it became the highest grossing Australian horror film of all time , making over $ 16 million at the U.S. box office alone . Neighboring New Zealand has also had a run of successful horror films in recent years . Before Peter Jackson took over Hollywood with his band of hobbits , he made his name in his homeland with 80 's classic gore-fests , `` Bad Taste '' and `` Braindead . '' A huge success internationally , the films have since spawned a whole generation of new horror directors in New Zealand . Even after nearly twenty years , Jackson 's films remain hugely influential . 2006 's `` Black Sheep , '' a film about genetically modified killer sheep , owed much to `` Braindead '' and used Jackson 's special effects company , Weta Workshop . Horror has also seen a revival globally . `` Saw '' , written by Dying Breed 's own Leigh Whannell , grossed $ 55 million in the United States and has since spawned three sequels . The popularity of the series generated numerous other torture fests that seem to develop increasingly elaborate ways to mutilate hapless teenagers . It is a tough ask to make your film stand out in such a saturated market , and you have to wonder how a film that in essence deals with four adults going out into a haunted wilderness can really be unique . Dwyer believes he 's done that by focusing on the film 's characters : `` A community that seems normal but has some twisted alternative philosophy , which makes a much more horrific film , '' he grins . And Dwyer believes the setting has helped . Tasmania , an island that has rarely featured in films , has a rich history and a varied landscape . Would Dwyer , after spending so much time on the island , recommend it as place to visit ? `` Bits of Tasmania are phenomenal in their beauty , '' he said . `` With that hanging mist , steep gradients and valleys , it 's truly mythical . ''
`` Dying Breed '' is an Australian horror film set in the Tasmanian jungle . It was released on DVD and Blu-ray by Umbrella Entertainment Group in Australia, United Kingdom and New Zealand on October 25, 2013 as a double feature with The Hills Director Jody Dwyer hopes he has delivered scares while avoiding horror cliches . Dwyer : `` I wanted to present characters that were credible ''