Netflix and super-busy Brisbane-based production company Hoodlum have announced that production will begin today on Tidelands, an Australian Netflix original series.
• Netflix announces first Australian original series Tidelands
The series – comprising eight 50-minute episodes – will be directed by Toa Fraser (Marvel’s Daredevil, Marvel’s Iron Fist, 6 Days) and written by Stephen M Irwin (Secrets & Lies, Harrow) and will shoot in south-east Queensland.
Tidelands follows Cal McTeer, a young woman who returns home to the small fishing village of Orphelin Bay after 10 years in juvenile detention. But her hometown is shrouded in mysteries, the greatest of which is the commune of outcasts who live in a hidden pocket of the bay: the Tidelanders.
Charlotte Best (Home & Away, Puberty Blues) will star as Cal McTeer, a resilient and fiercely independent ex-con, whom everyone underestimates to their peril. Aaron Jakubenko (The Shannara Chronicles, Spartacus: War of the Damned) will star as Cal’s fisherman brother Augie McTeer, Peter O’Brien (Underbelly, X-men Origins: Wolverine) as deckhand Bill Sentelle and Mattias Inwood (Will) as Corey Welch, the handsome, conflicted Senior Constable.
Elsa Pataky (The Fast & Furious franchise) will star as Adrielle Cuthbert, the darkly enigmatic and keenly intelligent leader of the Tidelanders, a woman unafraid to do anything to meet her ruthless ends. Dalip Sondhi, Caroline Brazier and Madeleine Madden have also been cast on the series.
Executive producers are Hoodlum’s Tracey Robertson and Nathan Mayfield who produced the acclaimed Australian hit series Secret & Lies and its remake for the US, as well as Harrow.
Hoodlum’s Tracey Robertson and Nathan Mayfield
“The Netflix audience demands an international cast, and Tidelands has truly embraced what it means to bring together a stellar, diverse ensemble,” said Mayfield, chief creative officer and co-founder of Hoodlum. “We’re thrilled to be working with Netflix on this first original Australian drama series and can’t wait to share the rich and unique Tidelands universe with audiences around the world.
“The opportunity to be involved with world class Australian storytellers was too good to pass up,” said Kelly Luegenbiehl, vice president, international originals, Netflix, “We are looking forward to working with Hoodlum Entertainment to bring this incredibly unique and mysterious Aussie series to our worldwide audience.”
Tidelands is the latest of Netflix’s investments in Australian content including the recently announced Chris Lilley original series, and co-productions Pine Gap, Cargo, The New Legends of Monkey, Glitch, Bottersnikes & Gumbles, Kazoops, Mako Mermaids: An H20 Adventure and The White Rabbit Project. Netflix also licenses much-loved Australian-grown content like Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries and The Code for distribution to Netflix’s 117 million members around the world.
Tidelands will premiere globally on Netflix.
Photo: The Tidelands cast