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The screen industry's love affair with successful Australian novels continues after the runaway success of the adaptation of Trent Dalton's book Boy Swallows Universe and the successful premiere this month of the film Force of Nature: The Dry 2, based on a novel by Jane Harper and starring Eric Bana as the protagonist.
Netflix has today announced that filming has commenced in Tasmania for a drama series based on another of Harper's novels, The Survivors, and will become the largest production filmed within the state to date.
Set in a Tasmanian seaside town, The Survivors is a crime-mystery series which explores the impact of unresolved grief.
The adaptation of Harper’s novel of the same name is led by the award-winning team at Tony Ayres Productions (Fires, Clickbait, Stateless), which is backed by Matchbox Pictures and Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group.
Tony Ayres is the showrunner, executive producer and writer. Andrea Denholm, Matt Vitins, Cherie Nowlan and Jane Harper will also serve as executive producers, with Nowlan (La Brea, Clickbait) and Ben C Lucas (Nautilus) directing.
Tony Ayres is joined in the writing team by Belinda Chayko (Fires), Christian White (Clickbait), Peter Templeman (Wanted) and Alberto Di Troia (The Spooky Files).
The series will be produced by Andy Walker (Deadloch, Rosehaven) and is supported by VicScreen through the Victorian Production Fund and the Victorian Digital Screen Rebate, alongside production support from Screen Tasmania.
"The Tasmanian Government is thrilled to welcome Netflix, Tony Ayres Productions and Matchbox to Tasmania for The Survivors. This proves that the ongoing support of the screen industry is reaping the benefits as the state is able to host larger, more complex productions," says Tasmanian Minister for the Arts, Madeleine Ogilvie.
"The economic impact of screen production is well established with impacts to construction, hospitality, catering and transport – even outside of the work for the cast and crew.
"I’d particularly like to thank the production team for their commitment to training emerging talent and partnering with Screen Tasmania in developing the skills of the existing crew base and introducing the next generation of Tasmanian filmmakers."
VicScreen CEO Caroline Pitcher says in the coming weeks the production will film at the world’s largest state-of-the-art LED volume stages at Docklands Studios Melbourne.
"We’re excited to see filming underway on The Survivors – another brilliant novel by Victorian author, Jane Harper, adapted for the screen by Netflix, TAP and Matchbox," she says.
"Not only is this series a celebration of local talent, it also delivers economic benefits for Victoria, with the production set to create over 200 jobs for Victorians and inject nearly $13.5 million into the state."
The Survivors will be released globally on Netflix, and is part of the platform's growing local slate of Australian films, shows and documentaries that also includes Heartbreak High, Wellmania, True Spirit, Surviving Summer Season 2, Love is in the Air, and ONEFOUR: Against All Odd, as well as upcoming releases and projects such as Desert King, Apple Cider Vinegar and Eddie’s Lil’ Homies.
Netflix is also now streaming the first screen breakthrough from Jane Harper's works, 2021 film The Dry, which in the first week of February reached #9 spot for Australian audiences in the films category.
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