David Wenham has signed on to star in the pre-World War II drama, Australia for 20th Century Fox

The 300 actor will star opposite Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman in the Baz Luhrmann flick. Set in northern Australia, the film follows an English aristocrat (Kidman) who inherits a sprawling ranch and reluctantly pacts with a cattle driver (Jackman) to protect her new property from a takeover plot, says The Hollywood Reporter. As the pair drive 2,000 head of cattle over unforgiving landscape, they experience the bombing of Darwin by Japanese forces. Wenham is playing the antagonist in the film, a station manager who is plotting to possess the ranch, called Faraway Downs.

Shooting on Australia begins in April in northern Australia.

Australia was released November 26th, 2008 and stars Shea Adams, Eddie Baroo, Ray Barrett, Tony Barry, Jamal Bednarz-Metallah, Damian Bradford, Bryan Brown, Nathin Butler. The film is directed by Baz Luhrmann.