Looks like everyone’s kicked a goal.

Hot on the heels of The Castle being voted Australia’s favourite movie of all time by Time Out, the iconic battler versus behemoth story is making its way to the stage.

Set to debut at Her Majesty’s Theatre from March 2027 – 30 years after the original film’s release – audiences will once again rally behind the Kerrigans in their battle to save their cherished family home.

The stage adaptation will stay true to the vibe of The Castle, with the script penned by the same Working Dog team behind the original film – Rob Sitch, Tom Gleisner, Santo Cilauro and Jane Kennedy – who will also serve as co-producers.

Producer Michael Cassel said as well as reviving the film’s best-loved characters and moments, the stage production will feature fresh laughs alongside modern references.

“When the team at Working Dog first approached me about bringing The Castle to the stage, I knew we had to do this,” Cassel said.

Almost three decades after it first hit cinemas, The Castle remains one of Australia’s most beloved films.

So what is it about the Kerrigans, the quotable one-liners and the suburban fairytale that continues to strike such a chord across generations?

Aussies love an underdog

Shot in just 10 days with a tiny budget (even for 1997) of $750,000, The Castle began life with relatively low expectations.

Revered Australian film critic, the late David Stratton, wrote in Variety at the time of its release that “a canny marketing campaign should ensure that what’s basically a sitcom will open strongly Down Under. But little overseas interest can be expected for this narrowly focused local effort.”

Instead, after becoming a massive smash hit in Australia and grossing over $10 million, and it was picked up by Miramax for the US distribution rights.

The suburban fairytale

Whether it’s the pool room, Sal’s rissoles, or Tracey’s hairdressing qualification from Sunshine TAFE, Aussies can see inside their own homes and family through The Castle.

Co-writer Cilauro told a News Corp masthead in 1997 the team deliberately chose to focus on the positive parts of Australian life.

“The film is a smorgasbord of our best moments with our own families when we were kids.”

The story of an Aussie battler

An average working-class dad living in a modest home, Darryl Kerrigan was voted the character who most represents who we are as a nation in a 2010 nationwide survey.

“It’s the story of a happy-go-lucky battler coming up trumps against the odds – that is the story that appeals to Australians,” social commentator Bernard Salt observed at the time.

It’s part of the vernacular

The Castle is so entrenched in our psyche that its lines have become part of everyday conversation.

Been doing a little gardening? “I dug a hole.” Enjoying some downtime? “How’s the serenity?” Enjoyed a win? “You little ripper!” Received a quote you thought was a little steep? “Tell ‘em they’re dreaming.”