Holmes’ new project – Glenrowan – is being produced by Two Tone Pictures and RLC Motion Picture Entertainment. It requires funding with Holmes launching a kickstarter in January to create a short film titled Blood and Thunder.

“We’re filming that in Kyneton and it will be a 30 minute short film about the Stringybark Creek shootings. It’s almost a teaser for the feature film,” Holmes said.

“The feature will cost in the millions and we are chasing private investment. There’s no dollar amount for the short film but it will be nowhere near (the cost of the feature).”

The new project will be a return to central Victoria for Holmes who shot his 2016 film The Legend of Ben Hall in Macedon and Kyneton.

“For this particular project, being a Ned Kelly film, it made sense to film in Victoria,” Holmes said.

“After a statewide search of locations, we found what needed just outside of Castlemaine including  specific geographical requirements to create Glenrowan in the 1880s.

“Central Victoria offers amazing locations. It’s got railways between Castlemaine and Maldon that will feature heavily in the film.”

The film focuses solely on the night of the Glenrowan siege between the Kelly Gang, their hostages and the Victoria Police.

“Our point of difference is we only focus on Glenrowan and look at more characters other than just Ned Kelly,” he said.

“Our film only focuses on the siege – it’s not the life story of Ned Kelly – if you try to condense that story into two hours it doesn’t do it justice.

“So we thought it was more interesting to focus the story on a smaller time frame. The story is not just about Kelly, but also the police and the townspeople who were bailed up in Glenrowan.”

Holmes said the crew doesn’t take a stand on declaring Kelly a villain or a hero and will be drawing from real-life accounts recorded in history.

“We don't take a strong leaning in any direction,” he said. “We certainly don’t wave the flag of him being a hero but also he’s not a cold-blooded killer. Our views are in the centre. 

“Something we wanted to bring to conversations from this film is to a bring balance to the argument and subject matter.

“That felt lost in recent years (where some thought) of him as a hero and then the backswing of (labelling) him a cop-killing thug. We believe the truth is more in the centre.”

Holmes said he would strive to make this the most accurate re-telling of Ned Kelly that has been on film.

“In the past (Kelly’s story) has not done accurately and that’s something we’re striving to do – bring that accuracy that lacking in Ned Kelly adaptations,” Holmes said.