Red Jack (SCRIPT)

Written by David SR Nichols. 90 pages. (QLD. AU)

David Nichols is an Australian writer and inventor based in Queensland. Drawing on a career in engineering and problem-solving, David brings a keen eye for detail and a deep appreciation for suspense and human resilience to his storytelling. Writing, a long-time hobby he is now actively exploring, allows him to blend grounded realism with high-stakes drama, often delving into themes of survival, morality, and the unseen forces that shape our lives. When not writing, David is developing innovative sustainability solutions for the energy sector, a pursuit that informs the authenticity and depth of his creative work.

Writer Statement

Red Jack began as a “what if” concept rooted in the real-world issue of kangaroo overpopulation in Queensland. With numbers exceeding the human population in some regions, and red kangaroos reaching over 90 kg and nearly two metres in height, I wanted to explore what might happen if a well-intentioned but poorly controlled scientific experiment went wrong.

The seed idea came from factual research into population-control methods—specifically fertility serums designed to sterilise dominant males without culling. From there, I imagined a mutation: what if instead of suppressing reproduction, the treatment altered behaviour and physiology, turning a small number of alpha males into hyper-aggressive, intelligent hunters capable of infecting other roos through their bite?

From that foundation, I built the story as a survival horror set in outback Queensland, merging authentic rural culture with escalating terror. I drew on lived knowledge of the Australian bush, its wildlife, and small-town dynamics to create a grounded world that could believably tilt into nightmare.

The narrative follows two young couples on a road trip to a working cattle station, gradually drawn into a series of horrific encounters as the infection spreads. Each scene was constructed to escalate the threat while keeping the environment and animal behaviour rooted in realism, making the horror more unnerving.

Across drafts, Red Jack evolved from a loosely sketched “creature feature” into a tightly structured, character-driven script. I layered in multiple perspectives—locals, scientists, police—so the audience experiences the outbreak from different angles, creating a broader sense of scale. The titular Red Jack, with his distinctive red and milky eye, became both the physical embodiment of the threat and a symbol of nature’s unpredictability when tampered with.

The screenplay blends the awe and beauty of the Australian outback with a relentless survival narrative, aiming to deliver tension, shock, and an underlying cautionary message: when humans interfere with nature, the consequences can be monstrous in ways we never expect.