Two years on from the tragic loss of Olivia Newton-John to cancer, comes word that plans are underway to make a biopic about her former partner Patrick McDermott’s bizarre disappearance.
“As well as celebrating Olivia’s success in showbiz, the biopic will focus on the disappearance of her love, Patrick,” a Hollywood insider tells New Idea. “For years, the public have remained fascinated about what happened to Patrick. Did he drown, or fake his own death?”
On June 30, 2005, Patrick vanished off the Californian coast while on a boating trip.
At the time of his disappearance, he allegedly owed thousands of dollars. Rumours have abounded that the Korean-American father of one – 48 years old when he disappeared – was still alive and had fled America to avoid debts.
Over the past two decades, several witnesses have claimed they have spotted him in Mexico. The tumultuous disappearance of Patrick, last seen aboard the fishing vessel Freedom, left Olivia heartbroken.
“I don’t think I’ll ever be at peace with it,” she told The Australian Women’s Weekly in 2009. “I think there will always be a question mark.”
Thankfully, Olivia found romantic happiness again. One year after Patrick disappeared, she began dating John Easterling, the man she went on to declare the love of her life. The two married in 2008. Not long before her death on August 8, 2022, Olivia transferred her Californian ranch into John’s name; it’s currently on the market for close to $14 million.
Who will play ONJ and Patrick?
While plans for the film remain top secret, the insider adds that producers are already debating who should play the lead roles. Aussie actresses Rose Byrne and Naomi Watts are on the wish list for Olivia, while Hawaii Five-O star Daniel Dae Kim is thought to be the hot favourite to play Patrick.
“The whole movie project has been talked about for years, but when they learnt that Olivia was unwell, it was felt it would be better to put it on hold,” explains New Idea’s source. “It was, after all, touching on a sensitive topic.”
Now the wheels are again turning on the project. But, our insider adds, casting the perfect person to play the beloved singer will be a challenge.
“Most actors really struggle to nail the Australian accent, so the production team are thinking an Aussie actress may well be best,” our source says. “Rose and Naomi are in the mix. Ideally they want to cast someone who can also sing.
“The filmmakers need to find somebody really special to capture the magic of Olivia, or it simply won’t work,” adds our source.
