Bookworm

Mildred (Nell Fisher, EVIL DEAD RISE) is a precocious 11yr old Kiwi, an only-child raised by a solo mother, who escapes her humdrum existence by immersing into literary adventures. Her long-dreamed quest is to capture proof that the mythological beast known as The Canterbury Panther exists, proof that would result in a substantial cash reward.

When an accident occurs leaving her mother hospitalised, her long absent father and washed-up illusionist Strawn Wise (Elijah Wood, YELLOWJACKETS) flies down to look after Mildred who he’s never met. This unlikely pair agree to go camping together while mum recuperates. A child who has read every outdoor guide but never been camping and a magician more comfortable inside Las Vegas bars are thrown together in the ultimate test of family bonding in the New Zealand wilderness.