The Foxtel Group has revealed their line-up of entertainment and sport at their 2024 upfront, highlighted by new and returning Aussie originals as well as local and international sport.
Coming to Binge
A new feature film commissioned by the Foxtel Group for BINGE highlighted the entertainment announcements with How to Make Gravy, an adaptation of Paul Kelly’s Australian song, now in production on the Gold Coast, Queensland. Set to star in the film includes actor Daniel Henshall, Hugo Weaving, French actress Agathe Rouselle along with a number of Australian stars including Brenton Thwaites, Damon Herriman and Kate Mulvany. It will also feature cameo performances from Australian musicians, Adam Briggs and Dallas Woods.
How to Make Gravy was adapted for the screen by musician Meg Washington and Nick Waterman, who will also direct. Academy Award-nominated producer, Schuyler Weiss will produce alongside Washington, Waterman and Hamish Lewis.
Also confirmed was The Last Anniversary, an adaptation of the novel by Australian author Liane Moriarty, produced by Made Up Stories and Blossom Films and directed by John Polson, with production set to begin this year.
The premiere date of 6 December was announced for new original series, Strife, from Made Up Stories, and starring Asher Keddie with all 8 episodes dropping at once. Inspired by Mia Freedman’s memoir, “Work, Strife, Balance”, Strife is set in the ever-changing world of publishing during the emerging digital age.
More content set to launch in the coming year includes:
• High Country, an eight-part mystery thriller starring Leah Purcell AM, Aaron Pedersen, Sara Wiseman and Ian McElhinney, and tells the story of detective Andrea (Andie) Whitford (Purcell) who is transferred to the Victorian High Country, where she is thrust into a baffling mystery of five missing persons who have vanished into the wilderness.
• The Twelve Season 2 starring Sam Neill who reprises his role as Brett Colby, SC alongside Frances O’Connor as Meredith Nelson-Moore, SC in this crime drama which follows a controversial murder trial seen through the lens of the jurors – 12 ordinary Australians who are facing their own realities and struggles.
• Production of Season 2 of the comedy series, Colin From Accounts, created and written by and starring Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall starts in Sydney in the coming months.
• Mix Tape, a four-part event miniseries adapted from the popular novel by Jane Sanderson is BINGE’s first international co-production.
• A new docu-soap reality original series, Billion Dollar Playground, which takes viewers into the exclusive world of uber-wealthy guests who pay a premium for high-end vacation homes, as world-class staff service their round-the-clock demands.
New programs coming to Foxtel
All new programs coming to Foxtel include: The next instalment of True Detective: Night Country starring Jodie Foster premieres January 15; Bookie, from creator Chuck Lorre and starring Charlie Sheen, this darkly funny comedy follows veteran Los Angeles bookie as the potential legalisation of sports gambling in California threatens to upend his business for good; The Sympathizer, based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name; The Regime, starring Kate Winslet, which tells the story of one year within the walls of the palace of a modern European regime as it begins to unravel; Ted, based on the live-action/CGI box office hit and sequel from “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane; Vigil S2, starring Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie in a brand-new investigation as they enter the secret world of drone warfare to catch a killer.
More anticipated titles will be available to Foxtel and BINGE customers, including Apples Never Fall, based on Liane Moriarty’s novel, and starring Sam Neill and Annette Bening; Feud Capote vs The Swans, starring Naomi Watts, Demi Moore and Molly Ringwald and produced by Ryan Murphy and Belgravia: The Next Chapter, taking place 24 years from the series Belgravia.. Plus all the WWE action including WWE Elimination Chamber live from Perth in February 2024.
Lifestyle Originals Returning
The Foxtel Group will continue to offer a slate of much loved Lifestyle Original programming with Selling Houses Australia returning for season 16 with hosts Andrew Winter, Wendy Moore and Dennis Scott. Gogglebox Australia along with another special edition of Celebrity Gogglebox Australia are also set to return in 2024.
On the night, the Group paid tribute to the late Cal Wilson for her extensive contribution to the comedy and entertainment industry and her celebrated career. She will be seen in her final role as host of Great Australian Bake Off in 2024 which was filmed earlier this year alongside judges Rachel Khoo and Darren Purchese and fellow host Natalie Tran.
Foxtel’s Sports line-up
In sport, 2024 will launch with a big summer of cricket including every Australian Men’s and Women’s home international, every match of the BBL and WBBL, plus major domestic and international matches live and ad-break free during play on Kayo Sports and Foxtel.
As a key broadcast partner of ESPN in Australia, Kayo Sports and Foxtel will be bringing all NBL and select WNBL games, plus select NBA games, across the summer. In addition, sports fans can watch the NFL’s showpiece events live.
In 2024, the NRL will kick off with the opening round being staged in Las Vegas, and Fox League will be the only place to watch both games including the exclusive season opener between the Sea Eagles and Rabbitohs, live. Fox League will be on the ground with Matty Johns and NRL 360 LIVE from Las Vegas to catch all the build-up.
Sports fans will also be able to watch every match of the Super Netball Season along with Australian International Tests and the Quad Series plus all the Supercars, MotoGP and Formula 1 events along with Main Event Boxing and UFC, Golf, AFLW, NRLW, NFL, Surfing and more.
From 2025, the new Foxtel Group and AFL rights come into effect. In addition to having all AFL and AFLW home and away games and finals (excluding the AFL Grand Final) available on Foxtel and Kayo Sports live and ad-break free during play, the Foxtel Group will introduce an exclusive ‘Super Saturday’ of games across the first eight rounds of the season.
See also: First look: Foxtel Media prepares Cockatoo Island for 2024 Upfront
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Top Image: Mark Frain