Netflix is not resting on its laurels when it comes to releasing new films this year, with the streaming giant having announced plans to debut a brand new movie every week of 2021.

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And one film which will be arriving on the platform sooner rather than later is the family drama Penguin Bloom, which is based on the book of the same name by Cameron Bloom and Bradley Trevor Greive.

Read on for everything you need to know about the new films, including what it's about and who's in the cast.

When is Penguin Bloom released on Netflix?

The film – which originally premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last year – will make its way to Netflix on Wednesday 27th January 2021.

What is Penguin Bloom about?

Penguin Bloom
Netflix

The film is based on a true story and tells of a family whose lives are thrown into disarray when their mother suffers paralysis following a fall.

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The family finds solace in an injured Magpie chick, who is taken in by them and helps them adjust to the accident.

The official synopsis from Netflix reads: "In 2013, Samantha Bloom, her husband Cameron and their three sons left their home in Australia for a holiday in Thailand. While enjoying a view, Sam fell off of a rooftop due to what was later determined to be a rotted railing... breaking her vertebrae in two places.

"Paralysed from the chest down, Sam — a lifelong outdoors-woman, surfer, and traveler —was unrecognisable to herself, and spent long months in a depression that made her question who she could be in the world and in her own family.

"A year later, her children brought home a wounded baby magpie they found. Warily eyeing the black-and-white bird the kids affectionately named “Penguin,” Sam bonded with the household’s new member, beginning a process of emotional healing that surprised her husband and sons, her mother, and herself.

"Penguin Bloom tells the amazing true story of renewal that occurred when a woman whose life seemed shattered found hope and purpose in her family’s love — and in a bird on its own journey of recovery."

Penguin Bloom cast

There's some A-level talent involved in the production, with two-time Academy Award nominee Naomi Watts taking on the role of Samantha, and The Walking Dead star Andrew Lincoln playing her husband Cameron.

The three children are played by newcomers Griffin Murray-Johnston, Felix Cameron and Abe Clifford-Barr while there are also supporting turns from two-time Oscar nominee Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom, Silver Linings Playbook), frequent Taika Waititi collaborator Rachel House (Hunt for the Wilderpeople) and Attack of the Clones star Leeanna Walsman.

Penguin Bloom trailer

You can check out the trailer below for a glimpse of what to expect from the film.

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Penguin Bloom is streaming on Netflix from Wednesday 27th January 2021. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our guide to the best TV series on Netflix and best movies on Netflix, or visit our TV Guide

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