The Morgans stockbrokers who financed Crocodile Dundee reunite for its 40th anniversary

Peter Evans, Denis Johnson, and Angus Douglas—the three legendary stockbrokers from Morgans who secured the vital $8.8 million financing for Crocodile Dundee—will reunite for an exclusive 40th-anniversary screening. The event celebrates their high-stakes financial gamble that brought Australia's most iconic film to life, culminating in a global box office triumph.

The private screening will take place on Wednesday, 7 May.

In the mid-1980s, Morgans was a fledgling Brisbane business with only about 20 staff members. When Paul Hogan’s production team sought capital, Denis Johnson, who grew up with Hogan, brought the opportunity to his partners, Peter Evans and Angus Douglas.

Leveraging the historical 10BA tax concessions, the trio underwrote the film and raised the required $8.8 million budget primarily from everyday retail investors, rather

than institutional backers.

• Facing a remaining $1 million shortfall, the group famously rejected a conditional funding offer from media titan Kerry Packer, choosing instead to raise the final amounts independently.

• The final pool included roughly 1,400 everyday investors, alongside prominent Australian figures like cricket legends Greg Chappell and Dennis Lillee

• The financial gamble paid off exponentially, generating an initial 860% return by 1988 and ultimately exceeding a 1,000% lifetime return for its backers.

Released in 1986, Crocodile Dundee defied industry expectations to gross over US$328 million worldwide. It remains the highest-grossing film in Australian cinema history and finished as the second-highest-grossing film globally in its release year.

‍Event Details

Event: Crocodile Dundee 40th Anniversary Private Screening
Date: Wednesday, 7 May
Location: Brisbane, QLD
Attendees: Peter Evans, Denis Johnson, Angus Douglas, and original investment partners.

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Media Contact‍

Amelia Oberhardt
Tonic Communications
0405 990 808