Darryl Kerrigan would be horrified: The owner of the house featured in cult Australian film The Castle wants it demolished to make way for a new development.

Photo: Google Street View / Wikimedia Commons

In a case of life imitating art, "the castle" - which in reality is 3 Dagonet Street in the Melbourne suburb of Strathmore - could be headed to court.

The Castle became an iconic Australian comedy, with phrases such as "How's the serenity?", "This is going straight to the pool room" and "Tell him he's dreaming" now a part of Australian - and, to a lesser extent, New Zealand - cultural lingo.

In the movie, the Kerrigan house is built in a largely undeveloped housing tract, on a toxic landfill, and directly adjacent to an airport runway.

Despite all this, sweet-natured family patriarch Darryl Kerrigan (Michael Caton) believed he lived in the lap of luxury.

In the 1997 film, Mr Kerrigan took his fight against the home's compulsory acquisition all the way to the High Court.

The fate of the actual house now lies in the hands of the Moonee Valley City Council, which will, as early as tonight, vote on whether to apply for heritage protection for the house.

Members of the council who want to stop the demolition requested a report into the house's significance, which stated its "connections with the film The Castle are the foremost aspect of its significance, reflecting both social and historical value".

Councillor Narelle Sharpe told Melbourne radio station 3AW she was "happy to move the officer's recommendation that heritage protection is afforded to the site".

If the council votes "yes", councillors will formally apply for heritage listing - but the property's owner, Vicky Cosentino, has threatened to take legal action if that happens.

Ms Cosentino wants to demolish the house to make way for two townhouses.

- ABC / RNZ