Air Supply’s five-decade journey from Melbourne theatre performers to international chart stars is heading to cinemas in the new feature film All Out Of Love: The Air Supply Story, with production details and casting now revealed.
by Paul Cashmere
The story of Australian soft rock duo Air Supply is set for the big screen with the upcoming biographical film All Out Of Love: The Air Supply Story. The movie will chronicle the rise of Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock from their first meeting in the cast of Jesus Christ Superstar in Melbourne in 1975 through to their emergence as one of the most commercially successful vocal acts of the late 1970s and 1980s. The project stars Kodi Smit-McPhee, Finn Cole and Ed Helms, and is expected to receive an exclusive theatrical release.
The film arrives as renewed interest in music biopics continues to shape the entertainment landscape. Following the commercial success of major productions centred on artists including Queen, Elton John and Elvis Presley, the Air Supply story offers a distinctly Australian perspective on a global music phenomenon.
While Air Supply’s success is often associated with the United States, where the duo scored eight Top Five hits on the Billboard Hot 100, the group’s origins are firmly rooted in Melbourne. Russell and Hitchcock first crossed paths while appearing in the Australian production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Their partnership would go on to generate more than 100 million record sales worldwide and establish Air Supply as one of Australia’s most successful international recording acts.
According to information released for the film, All Out Of Love: The Air Supply Story will explore the group’s professional and personal journey, examining both the successes and challenges that accompanied their rise to fame. The production promises to revisit the duo’s formative years, their breakthrough recordings and the songs that helped define adult contemporary radio across multiple generations.
Among the catalogue expected to feature prominently are signature hits including Lost In Love, All Out Of Love, Every Woman In The World, The One That You Love, Here I Am, Sweet Dreams, Even The Nights Are Better and Making Love Out Of Nothing At All. Those recordings established Air Supply as a dominant chart presence in the United States during the early 1980s and helped transform the duo from Australian performers into global stars.
The screenplay has been written by Stuart Beattie, whose credits include the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise, while Stuart McDonald directs. Producers have positioned the film as a dramatic account of friendship, perseverance and artistic partnership across five decades.
Air Supply remains active more than 50 years after its formation. Russell and Hitchcock continue to tour internationally and earlier this year released the album A Matter Of Time directly to fans online before issuing a vinyl edition through their concert dates. The pair also recently celebrated their 50th anniversary as a performing act.
The group’s story contains many of the elements traditionally associated with music biopics. Early commercial success in Australia was followed by a difficult transition to the United States, where the duo struggled financially before attracting the attention of Arista Records executive Clive Davis. The breakthrough came with Lost In Love, which launched a run of international hits and established Air Supply as one of the defining acts of the soft rock era.
Air Supply’s legacy has also received increasing institutional recognition. In 2013 the duo was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame, acknowledging its contribution to Australian music and its sustained international success. The band’s influence has extended across Asia, North America and Europe, where its catalogue continues to attract new audiences decades after the original recordings were released.
As with many contemporary music biopics, the challenge for filmmakers will be balancing historical accuracy with cinematic storytelling. Audiences increasingly expect music films to move beyond simple celebration and offer a more nuanced examination of the artists involved. The success of All Out Of Love: The Air Supply Story may ultimately depend on how effectively it captures both the scale of Air Supply’s commercial achievements and the personal relationship that sustained the partnership.
The project represents one of the most significant screen portrayals of an Australian music act in recent years. With an established cast, experienced creative team and access to one of Australia’s most successful song catalogues, All Out Of Love: The Air Supply Story is positioned to introduce the Air Supply story to a new generation of cinema audiences while revisiting a remarkable chapter in Australian music history.
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