Newcastle the town inspired Newcastle the movie. As I drove through the streets on my first visit to Newcastle in October 2001, I knew I was in a very special place. The town, the beaches, the seaside pools, the community of surfers, and the nearby Stockton Dunes all resonated with me and inspired the story and script that became Newcastle. The town of Newcastle is as much a character in the film as it is the location.  The story rotates around a group of teenagers going through huge identity issues and life-changing experiences that mirror in many ways what the town and community of Newcastle are going through. The lead character, Jesse, has dreams of breaking out onto the world stage as a pro surfer, yet his insecurities and past get the better of him as circumstances beyond his control challenge his belief in himself and force him to question what his dreams really are.

Cinematically, Newcastle the place is a dream come true. The countless coal barges that line the horizon represent the wall of resistance Jesse faces every day as he bounds out to the surf, trying to perfect his technique in the days approaching the Junior Pro Surf Championship. If Jesse doesn't make it as a surfer, his fate is certain to be like his older brother Victor and his father Reggie, working on the dry dock that sits in Newcastle harbor servicing the coal industry. Jesse's pal, Andy, sees Newcastle as a surfer's paradise: great beaches, great surf, mates, and skate parks. What more could you ask for? But Jesse sees the town at the end of a rail line as a trap and a dead end. Fergus, Jesse's geeky, fraternal twin brother is not sure where he fits in or even who he is yet. But Fergus manages to overcome his fears and mix in with Jesse's surf mates and girlfriends on an overnight trip to the Stockton Dunes. The wide-open space and abandonment of the dunes and the surf near the famous 'Shipwreck' just off the beach represent the detachment the characters feel in themselves as they move through a weekend trip where virginity is lost, fears are conquered, acceptance is granted and a tragedy unfolds.
 
Newcastle features a young cast of stars in the making as well as veteran actors Shane Jacobson (Reggie, Jesse's Dad), Anthony Hayes (Danny), and Barry Otto (‘Gramps’). Given the subject matter and setting of the film, it was crucial that strong actors who were also great surfers play the characters of Jesse, Andy, Scotty, Nathan, Billy, Jake, and Victor. At all times the audience will know they are watching real surfers in real waves and real situations. The goal was to create a film that audience members—both young and old—would identify with and experience as true and real to what they feel they are going through or did when they were teenagers.