Stan has announced the trailer and premiere date for their new original series Scrublands, premiering November 16.
The series is based on the award-winning novel written by Chris Hammer and is an Easy Tiger production co-commissioned by Stan and the 9Network, in association with VicScreen and Abacus Media Rights.
The new show stars Luke Arnold (Black Sails, Never Tear Us Apart: The Untold Story of INXS) and Bella Heathcote (Stan Original Series C*A*U*G*H*T, Stan Original Film Relic) with Jay Ryan (It Chapter Two, Top of the Lake).
The series is set in Riversend, an isolated and struggling country town in rural Victoria, where charismatic and dedicated young priest Byron Swift (Jay Ryan) calmly opens fire on his congregation, killing five parishioners.
One year later investigative journalist Martin Scarsden (Luke Arnold) arrives in Riversend to write what should be a simple feature story on the anniversary of the tragedy. But Martin finds a town deeply scarred and hostile to journalists – local bookstore owner Mandy Bond (Bella Heathcote), Constable Robbie Haus-Jones (Adam Zwar) and widow of one of the massacre victims, Fran Landers (Victoria Thaine) give him short shrift. When Martin’s investigative instincts kick in and he digs beneath the surface, the previously accepted narrative begins to fall apart and he finds himself in a life-and-death race to uncover the truth.
The cast also includes Robert Taylor (The Newsreader), Adam Zwar (Squinters), Zane Ciarma (Neighbours), Victoria Thaine (Nowhere Boys), Stacy Clausen (True Spirit), Genevieve Morris (Stan Original Series No Activity) and newcomer Ella Ferris.
Scrublands is directed by Greg McLean, written by Felicity Packard, Kelsey Munro and Jock Serong, produced by Ian Collie, Rob Gibson, David Redman, Felicity Packard for Easy Tiger Productions, with executive producers Michael Healy and Andy Ryan from the 9Network and Cailah Scobie and Amanda Duthie for Stan. International sales of the series are handled by Abacus Media Rights.
See also: A-list cast walk Stan’s blue carpet for premiere of Kick Gurry’s C*A*U*G*H*T