News

When you purchase through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Untamed is a mystery crime thriller drama miniseries co-created by Mark L. Smith and Elle Smith. The Netflix series is set in the wilderness of the Yosemite National Park, and it follows the National Park Service officer Kyle Turner as he investigates the brutal murder of a young woman while struggling with handling his own demons. Untamed stars Eric Bana, Sam Neill, Rosemarie DeWitt, Lily Santiago, and Wilson Bethel. So, if you loved the intensely thrilling drama, captivating murder mystery, and compelling characters in Netflix’s Untamed, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Broadchurch Credit – ITV

Broadchurch is a British mystery crime thriller drama series created by Chris Chibnall. The ITV series takes place in the coastal town of Broadchurch, and it revolves around the investigation into the tragic death of a young boy...

When you purchase through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The Survivors is an Australian mystery thriller crime drama miniseries created by Tony Ayres. Based on the 2020 novel of the same name by Jane Harper, the Netflix series is set in the small coastal town of Evelyn Bay, Tasmania, and it follows Kieran Elliott, who returns to his hometown after 15 years. His return dredges up a tragic past involving a deadly storm that took the lives of three young people. The Survivors stars Charlie Vickers, Yerin Ha, Robyn Malcolm, Thom Green, George Mason, Don Hany, Jessica De Gouw, Damien Garvey, Martin Sacks, and Catherine McClements. So, if you loved the thrilling drama, gripping mystery, and compelling characters in The Survivors, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Broadchurch Credit – ITV

Broadchurch is a British mystery crime drama series created by Chris Chibnall. The ITV series...

When you purchase through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Long Bright River is a crime drama miniseries created by Liz Moore and Nikki Toscano. Based on Moore’s 2020 book of the same name, the Peacock series is set in Philadelphia, and it follows police officer Mickey as she patrols a high-crime neighborhood and soon begins to investigate the murder of three young women. Long Bright River stars Amanda Seyfried, Ashleigh Cummings, Callum Vinson, John Doman, Nicholas Pinnock, and Dash Mihok. So, if you loved the intense story, thrilling mystery, and compelling characters in Long Bright River, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Mare of Easttown (Max & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – HBO

Mare of Easttown is a crime drama miniseries created by Brad Ingelsby. The HBO series is set in the small Philadelphia suburb of Easttown, and it follows police detective Marianne Sheehan...

When you purchase through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Sharp Objects is a psychological mystery thriller drama series created by Marti Noxon. Based on the 2006 novel of the same name by Gillian Flynn, the HBO series follows Camille Preaker, an emotionally troubled investigative reporter who just got out of a psychiatric hospital. Camille travels to her hometown of Wind Gap, Missouri, to investigate the murder of two young girls, but she soon finds herself confronting her own childhood trauma. Sharp Objects stars Amy Adams, Patricia Clarkson, Chris Messina, Eliza Scanlen, Matt Craven, Henry Czerny, Taylor John Smith, Madison Davenport, and Sydney Sweeney. So, if you loved the intense psychological story, thrilling mystery, and compelling characters in Sharp Objects, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Top of the Lake (Hulu & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – BBC Two

Top of the Lake is a mystery...

When you purchase through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Dear Child is a mystery crime drama series written and directed by Isabel Kleefeld. The Netflix series is based on an international bestselling novel Liebes Kind by Romy Hausmann. Dear Child revolves around a 13-year-old missing persons case which is reopened after an unknown woman is struck by a car in a German forest and the girl who accompanies her is being interviewed by the police. The Netflix series is a claustrophobic and dark experience with plenty of twists and turns. So, if you loved the thrilling mystery, intensely dark story, and compelling characters in Dear Child here are some similar movies you should check out next.

The Sinner (Netflix & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – USA Network

The Sinner is a police procedural mystery crime thriller drama anthology series created by Derek Simonds. Based on the 1999 novel of...

True Detective has to be one of the most brilliant anthology mystery thriller shows ever made. Originally created by Nic Pizzolatto, the HBO series told a dark and haunting tale through the brilliant performances by Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson in its first season. The quality of the series took a nosedive in its second season and the third season while better from Season 2 didn’t really match the expectation that the inaugural season of True Detective set. Now, we are in Season 4 titled Night Country and with a new creative force behind the series, the fans are getting exactly what they want. So, if you have already finished the much awaited Season 4 of True Detective and are hoping for a renewal, here are some similar shows you could watch while waiting for the new season.

Mare of Easttown (Max & Prime Video Add-On) Credit – HBO

Mare of Easttown is a...

Conference

An in conversation event with Paramount Global executives Pam Kaufman, president and CEO of international markets and global consumer products and experiences, and Lisa Kramer, president of international TV licensing, Paramount Global Content Distribution, has been added to the NATPE Global conference.

Jens Richter, Fremantle’s CEO of commercial and international and Paulo Koelle, head of Prime Video Latin America, Amazon Studios have also joined the speaker lineup. Other executives who have recently been confirmed include Jeff Sagansky, Sky’s group director of acquisitions, Katie Keenan, Acf Investment Bank’s Richard Gray, Satmohan Panesar, commissioner, factual, ITV Studios, Michael Schmidt, president, Sipur and Ilan Arboleda, co-founder and producer, CreativeChaos vmg.

Speakers also include Patricia Jasin, country manager Colombia and head of international distribution for Warner Bros. Discovery, Latin America/U.S. Hispanic, Sandra Smester, executive VP, programming and content, NBCUniversal Telemundo, Susanne Frank, director of Drama at Zdf Studios and Lindsay Stewart,...

Exclusive: Here’s your first look at Stan’s upcoming mega-church drama Prosper.

The Lionsgate family drama stars Richard Roxburgh (Rake, Elvis, Stan Original Series Bali 2002) as Cal Quinn, the founder and global pastor of one of the fastest growing megachurches in the world, and Rebecca Gibney, as his wife Abi Quinn.

Stan says the show, which we first revealed in March, takes a “provocative peek behind the curtain of power and privilege.”

The ensemble cast includes Ewen Leslie (Stan Original Series Bali 2002, The Stranger), Ming-Zhu Hii (La Brea, Peter Rabbit), Jacob Collins-Levy (Stan Original Film True History of the Kelly Gang, The Witcher: Blood Origin), Hayley McCarthy, Jordi Webber (Nomad, Deadlands, Power Ranger) Jacek Koman (Moulin Rouge!, Children of Men, Rake), Andrea Solonge (Class of ’07, Privileged), Brigid Zengeni (Stan Original Series Totally Completely Fine, The Secret She Keeps), Alex Fitzalan (The Wilds, Slender Man) and Alexander D’Souza.

Richard Roxburgh and Rebecca Gibney star in Prosper, a Lionsgate-Stan series about a family with huge wealth that builds a powerful mega-church. Production has now started in Sydney, Australia.

First announced in September last year, “Prosper” follows the founding family of an Australian church as it is poised to break into the U.S. and harvest yet more wealth and power. But, while preaching a message of faith, love and acceptance to their followers, behind closed doors the Quinn the family is protecting shameful secrets.

Roxburgh portrays Cal Quinn, founder and global pastor at U Star. Gibney plays as Abi Quinn, his wife and worship leader. In his breakthrough role, Alexander D’Souza plays Moses, the adopted son of Cal and Abi.

Prosper is produced by Lingo Pictures, part of ITV Studios, with major production investment from Screen Australia with the assistance of the New South Wales government via Screen Nsw...

Exclusive: Richard Roxburgh and Rebecca Gibney will front Stan and Lionsgate’s Australian drama series Prosper.

The pair will lead the cast of the Lingo Pictures show, which is billed as an epic family drama that takes a “provocative peek behind the curtain of power and privilege.”

Production is underway in New South Wales, Australia, with a pic of the first episode’s scripted revealing it will be called ‘Man of God’ (see below).

Roxburgh will play Cal Quinn, the founder and global pastor of fictional Sydney megachurch U Star, and Gibney is Abi Quinn, his wife and worship leader. Their powerful megachurch is one of Australia’s fastest growing and on the precipice of a lucrative American expansion. While the family preaches messages of faith, love and acceptance to thousands of followers, behind closed doors, the they protect shameful secrets.

"Breathe in the clear air, and out the blackness…" Netflix has released an official trailer for an acclaimed, super dark Australian thriller titled The Stranger, made by actor / director Thomas M. Wright. This first premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival back in May, just played at the Melbourne Film Festival, and is also stopping by the London Film Festival before debuting on Netflix in October. A small circle of seasoned undercover cops must pose as a vast and influential criminal network to catch a murderer who has evaded conviction for eight years. Joel Edgerton stars as Mark, a cop who perilously finds himself descending deeper into hell while trying to establish a relationship with a dangerous murder suspect. The film unravels as it plays out, initially you don't know who's who and what's going on, with details coming to light as the story continues. Also starring Sean Harris, Steve Mouzakis,...

Vulture Watch

Is there more story to tell? Has The Gloaming TV show been cancelled or renewed for a second season on Starz? The television vulture is watching all the latest cancellation and renewal news, so this page is the place to track the status of The Gloaming, season two. Bookmark it, or subscribe for the latest updates. Remember, the television vulture is watching your shows. Are you?  

What's This TV Show About?

Originating in Australia and airing on the Starz cable channel in the United States, The Gloaming TV series is set in Tasmania and stars Emma Booth, Ewen Leslie, Martin Henderson, Aaron Pedersen, Rena Owen, Josephine Blazier, and Matt Testro. When a woman is found brutally killed, the clues surrounding her death connect to murders both past and present. Political corruption and shady business dealings are soon entwined with sinister crimes and...

The Gloaming series was produced in Australia and aired there more than a year ago. A second season was in development when the pandemic hit. It's unclear if season two will actually be made or if Starz will want to air it. Will The Gloaming be cancelled or officially renewed? Stay tuned.

A drama series, The Gloaming TV series was filmed and set in Tasmania, Australia. It stars Emma Booth, Ewen Leslie, Martin Henderson, Aaron Pedersen, Rena Owen, Josephine Blazier, and Matt Testro. When a woman is found brutally killed, the clues surrounding her death connect to murders both past and present. Political corruption and shady business dealings are soon entwined with sinister crimes and occult practices. At the center of this web are two detectives, Molly McGee (Booth) and Alex O'Connell (Leslie) who share a tragic past. In...

Will Molly and Alex uncover the truth in the first season of The Gloaming TV show on Starz? As we all know, the Nielsen ratings typically play a big role in determining whether a TV show like The Gloaming is cancelled or renewed for season two. Unfortunately, most of us do not live in Nielsen households. Because many viewers feel frustrated when their viewing habits and opinions aren't considered, we invite you to rate all of the first season episodes of The Gloaming here.

An Australian drama series that airs on Starz in the United States, The Gloaming TV series is set in Tasmania and stars Emma Booth, Ewen Leslie, Martin Henderson, Aaron Pedersen, Rena Owen, Josephine Blazier, and Matt Testro. When a woman is found brutally killed, the clues surrounding her death connect to murders both past and present. Political corruption and...

Network: Starz

Episodes: Ongoing (hour)

Seasons: Ongoing

TV show dates: March 22, 2021 -- present

Series status: Has not been cancelled

Performers include: Emma Booth, Ewen Leslie, Martin Henderson, Aaron Pedersen, Rena Owen, Josephine Blazier, and Matt Testro.

TV show description:

An Australian drama series, the first season of The Gloaming TV series is set and filmed in Hobart, Tasmania.

Read More…...

A woman is found, dead and encased in barbed wire, at the foot of a waterfall in Tasmania, Australia. Seemingly inexplicably, she’s got a decades-old student identification card on her; it’s not hers. And that unsettling scene is the point where The Gloaming really gets going.

In a moment, we want to hear what you thought of the Australian drama, which premiered Sunday on Starz. But first, a quick (and creepy!) recap.

More from TVLineAmerican Gods Finale: Stars Weigh In on Mr. Wednesday's Final (?) Screw-YouAmerican Gods' Ricky Whittle and Yetide Badaki Tease the Orisha's Role in the Game-Changing...

Starz has acquired the US and Canadian rights to The Gloaming, with the eight-episode drama to premiere across each of the cable network’s platforms next month.

Filmed in Tasmania, The Gloaming stars Emma Booth and Ewen Leslie as two detectives with a tragic past that investigate a brutal murder.

In a journey to find the truth, their fate is coerced by the ghosts of the unsettled dead that linger in the liminal space between life and death — known as “The Gloaming.”

The series also features Martin Henderson (Grey’s Anatomy), Aaron Pedersen (Mystery Road), Rena Owen (The Orville), Josephine Blazier (True History of the Kelly Gang), and Matt Testro (Nowhere Boys).

Written and created by Victoria Madden, who also serves as showrunner, The Gloaming is a co-production between Sweet Potato Films and John Molloy’s 2 Johns Productions and ABC Signature, a division of Disney Television Studios.

There are directorial contributions from including Greg McLean,...

In today’s TV news roundup, “South Park” is back with a new Covid-19 vaccine special, and Amazon Prime Video offered a first look at animated series “Invincible,” starring Steven Yeun.

Casting

The Feb. 22 episode of “The Good Doctor” will feature Southern California Special Olympics global messenger Caley Versfelt, Variety has learned exclusively. She portrays Jamie Chabner, a patient suffering from end-stage liver disease. Dr. Morgan Reznick (Fiona Gubelmann) forms a special with Jamie and takes it upon herself to try to find a matching donor in time to save her life.

Dates

Starz announced “The Gloaming” will debut on March 21 at 9 p.m. Over eight episodes, detectives Molly McGee (Emma Booth) and Alex O’Connell (Ewen Leslie) endure a harrowing journey to find the truth about a woman who is brutally killed, but they end up coerced by the ghosts of the unsettled dead. The limited series, written by showrunner Victoria Madden,...

Hold onto your hats, TV Fanatics, because this will be a long ride to the finish.

There is so much news out of the TCA Winter Press Tour today that we can hardly keep up.

Here's a roundup of some new and returning shows that you do not want to miss. What a way to start the weekend!

Starz announced today that their upcoming limited series, The Gloaming, will premiere on Sunday, March 21, across all available platforms.

When a woman is found brutally killed, the clues surrounding her death connect to murders both past and present. Political corruption and shady business dealings are soon entwined with sinister crimes and occult practices.

At the center of this web are two detectives, Molly McGee and Alex O’Connell, who share a tragic past.

In a harrowing journey to find the truth, their fate is coerced by the ghosts of the unsettled dead that...

We don’t know much, but we do know that if a trailer involves haunting music, glass-eyed dolls in disarray and mummified animal corpses… there’s some twisted stuff going down.

And all of those elements are present in the exclusive preview of Starz’s new murder mystery, The Gloaming, which you can sample below.

More from TVLineMen in Kilts: Grade the Premiere of Two Outlander Stars' Scottish Travel SeriesYvette Lee Bowser Talks 'Investment in Inclusion,' and Why Aspirational Black Female Friendships Are Her BrandStep Up: Christina Milian to Succeed the Late Naya Rivera as Collette

The Australian series...

Stars: Aisling Franciosi, Baykali Ganambarr, Sam Claflin, Damon Herriman, Harry Greenwood, Ewen Leslie, Charlie Shotwell, Michael Sheasby, Charlie Jampijinpa Brown, Magnolia Maymuru | Written and Directed by Jennifer Kent

Australian filmmaker Jennifer Kent’s follow-up to The Babadook is this brutal, uncompromising revenge tale set in the Tasmanian Outback. As such, it is most assuredly not for everyone, but those who can stomach the horrific opening are in for a stunningly realised revenge thriller that sears itself into your brain with its white hot rage.

Set in the British colony of Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) in 1825, the film stars Aisling Franciosi as Clare, a young convict who’s served her time and is waiting for Lieutenant Hawkins (Sam Clafin) to sign her papers, so she can begin a new life of freedom with her husband (Michael Sheasby) and newborn baby. However, Hawkins shows no intention of granting her freedom...

Netflix has secured the rights to Porchlight Films’ Operation Buffalo for across the Asia Pacific region, excluding China, with the spy thriller to stream from February 28.

Co-producer and distributor About Premium Content (Apc) has also sold the series to Belgium’s Rtbf.

The deals come after previous sales to Acorn TV in the UK and Eire, Upc in Switzerland; Rtp in Portugal, Nrk TV in Norway and Viasat World for Central and Eastern European territories.

Created by Peter Duncan and Tanya Phegan and originally commissioned by the ABC, Operation Buffalo turns the frightening truths behind British atomic testing in the 1950’s into a blend of espionage thriller and political satire set in the outback of South Australia.

The show follows Major Leo Carmichael (Ewen Leslie), an Australian Army Engineer and WWII hero tasked with keeping the top-secret nuclear base running smoothly. But testing the most dangerous weapon in the world...

The Luminaries Trailers — BBC and Starz‘s The Luminaries (2020) TV mini-series trailers has been released. The Luminaries trailers stars Eve Hewson, Eva Green, Himesh Patel, Ewen Leslie, Marton Csokas, Callan Mulvey, and Michael Sheasby. Crew Claire McCarthy directed The Luminaries. Eleanor Catton wrote the screenplays for the TV mini-series. David Long created the [...]

Continue reading: The Luminaries Trailers: Eve Hewson & Himesh Patel’s Fates are Linked During a Gold Rush in Starz’s 2020 TV Mini-series...

The Luminaries, the British/New Zealand drama starring The Knick’s Eve Hewson and Sin City’s Eva Green, has been picked up by Starz.

The premium network will premiere the six-part series, which is based on Eleanor Catton’s book, on Sunday, February 14 at 9:30 p.m. after Men in Kilts: A Roadtrip With Sam and Graham. You can watch a trailer below.

The series follows defiant young adventurer Anna Wetherell (Hewson) who has sailed from Britain to New Zealand to begin a new life. There she meets Emery Staines (Himesh Patel), an encounter that triggers a strange kind of magic that neither can explain. As they fall in love, driven together and apart by fateful coincidence, these star-crossed lovers begin to wonder: do we make our fortunes, or do our fortunes make us?

Eva Green plays Lydia Wells, Marton Csokas (Into the Badlands) stars as Francis Carver and...

British-New Zealand miniseries “The Luminaries” will get its stateside debut on Starz in February, the pay TV channel said Tuesday.

Starring Eve Hewson, Himesh Patel and Eva Green, “The Luminaries” will premiere Sunday, Feb. 14 at 9:30 p.m., following the debut of “Men in Kilts: A Roadtrip With Sam and Graham.”

Per Starz, “The Luminaries” tells an epic story of love, murder and revenge, as men and women travelled across the world to make their fortunes. It is a 19th century tale of adventure and mystery, set on the Wild West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island in the boom years of the 1860s gold rush.

Along with the premiere date news, Starz released the trailer for the six-episode limited series, which you can view above.

Here’s the official description for “The Luminaries,” which is based on Eleanor Catton’s novel of the same name: The story follows...

Acorn TV has bought the rights to Porchlight Films’ Operation Buffalo for the UK and Ireland, with distributor About Premium Content (Apc) also securing a range of other sales throughout Europe.

These include Upc in Switzerland, Rtp in Portugal, Nrk in Norway and Visasat World for Central and Eastern European territories.

Originally commissioned by the ABC, Operation Buffalo is written by Peter Duncan and produced by Porchlight Films’ Vincent Sheehan and Tanya Phegan, who co-created the series with Duncan.

A blend of espionage thriller and satire, the six-part series is set during the British nuclear tests in outback South Australia in the 1950s. Ewen Leslie, Jessica de Gouw and James Cromwell star.

On Sunday, the series was nominated for two early Aacta Awards, including Best Telefeature or Miniseries, and Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama for Leslie.

Apc participated in the financing of the project and holds worldwide distribution rights.

Ruth Underwood.

Glasgow-based Synchronicity Films, which co-produced with December Media The Cry, the BBC/ABC psychological thriller directed by Glendyn Ivin, has opened an Australian arm.

Former BBC drama development exec Ruth Underwood is heading the Melbourne office with the remit to produce high-end drama for the domestic and international markets, including potential UK-Australian co-productions.

Its first project is an adaptation of The Cry author Helen FitzGerald’s latest novel Ash Mountain. Set in Australia, the tome follows Fran, a single mother who returns to her sleepy hometown to care for her dying father when a devastating bush fire breaks out.

Nent Studios UK represents the international distribution rights for Ash Mountain. The Times‘ reviewer Mark Sanderson hailed a “compassionate novel about the consequences of crime [which] bursts with black humour and features a bravura portrayal of a bush fire that eventually descends on the community like the wrath of God.

To mark the release of The Luminaries on 20th July, we’ve been given 2 copies to give away on DVD.

1865, New Zealand: welcome to the Gold Rush. Fresh-faced young woman Anna Wetherell sets out for a new life, and has a romantic encounter with fellow passenger Emery Staines on the voyage to New Zealand. But fate has other plans for them…and so does scheming fortune-teller Lydia, who takes Anna under her wing; while naive Emery falls in with ex-convict Francis Carver.

Nine months later, the cruel George Shepard is investigating the murder of the mysterious Crosbie Wells…and Anna is the prime suspect. With help from vengeance-seeking opium war veteran Sook Yongsheng and Maori greenstone-hunter Te Rau Tauwhare, will the truth out?

As the lovers try to find their way back to each other, they are confronted with magic and murder, romance and revenge, all fuelled by the gold-lust...

Australian production firm Porchlight Films will cease operations after 23 years of making features that include Justin Kurzel’s “True History of the Kelly Gang,” and Garth Davis’ “Mary Magdalene.” The company also produced David Michod’s 2010 Australian “Animal Kingdom” feature that sparked a successful U.S. TV series.

The three founding partners Vincent Sheehan, Liz Watts and Anita Sheehan will move on to pursue new opportunities individually. Watts and Vincent Sheehan will continue to work on projects currently in development. Anita Sheehan, MD of Porchlight since 2015, will take a short break before pursuing other business opportunities.

The three partners will retain ownership of Jetty Distribution, which will continue to manage the ongoing rights in Porchlight’s catalogue.

Productions currently being financed will continue to be produced under the Porchlight banner into 2021. These include Kitty Flanagan’s comedy series “Entitled” and Nakkiah Lui and Gabe Dowrick’s “Preppers.”

The company’s...

‘Think of the sky like a looking glass, what you see is who you are.’

If the sight of Eva Green dressed in witchy velvet and hosting a 19th century séance doesn’t prompt an instant ‘oh yes’ from the depths of your heart, then back to your Top Gears and your Linekers Gary, go.

Everybody else, settle down for The Luminaries, a new six-part adventure-romance arriving on BBC One on Sunday the 21st of June. After episode two airs the next day on Monday the 22nd at the same time, the hour-long instalments will come out weekly in the Sunday night slot.

If you prefer to binge though, the whole lot will also be available to stream on BBC iPlayer after the first ep.

The Luminaries stars Eve Hewson and Himesh Patel as Anna and Emery, two young emigrants seeking their fortune in the 1866 New Zealand Gold Rush. When...

Ivan Sen’s ‘Mystery Road’.

Sydney Film Festival has selected Rachel Perkins’ Mabo and Ivan Sen’s Mystery Road for Tribeca Enterprises/YouTube’s free global online film festival, We Are One.

Sydney is just one of the 21 participating festivals in the event, with others including Tribeca, Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Toronto and Sundance.

More than 100 films will screen from this Friday May 29 to June 7 on YouTube, together with talks, Vr content and musical performances, all with the aim of raising money for the World Health Organisation’s Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund and local relief partners in each region.

The programming represents over 35 countries and includes 23 narrative and eight documentary features, 57 narrative and 15 documentary short films, 15 archived talks, along with four festival exclusives and five Vr programming pieces.

In selecting films to put forward, Sydney Film Festival director Nashen Moodley was challenged by Tribeca to look to films that had an...

‘The Gloaming’.

Screen Tasmania has put funding towards the development of a second season of Stan original series The Gloaming, created by Victoria Madden.

The money comes via the state government’s Covid-19 cultural sector support package, which facilitated, inter alia, additional advanced development funding. Stan will match the funding as the virtual writers’ room begins developing a possible new season.

The Gloaming is the first of four projects to be approved through accelerated assessment, with the government’s hope that projects will be in a position to seek finance to start production when the current restrictions are eased.

Produced by Madden, 2 Jon’s Jon Molloy and Fiona McConaghy, the first season of the crime drama starred Emma Booth, Ewen Leslie, Aaron Pedersen, Rena Owen, Matt Testro and Josephine Blazier. It spent $7.5 million on Tasmanian cast, crew and services.

“John Molloy and I are excited to be collaborating once more...

Mr Pillow.

After filming mostly at night and weekends over six months, Michael Booth has finished Mr Pillow – his self-proclaimed “love letter to Sydney” – and is getting ready to share it with the world.

The filmmaker/playwright/actor was inspired to make the psychological romantic drama by Stephen Graham’s short story of the same name, a first-person fable about a troubled man caught in a love triangle between his new girlfriend and her favourite pillow.

He funded the film for less than $50,000 partly from the money he earned playing Harry in three seasons of Network 10’s Wonderland, with cameras and other gear donated through his association with TV crews.

Andrew Henry plays Sean, a young guy who is terrified of talking to women. When he finally musters the courage, he meets Sarah (Gemma Atkinson), a seemingly happy young woman who is charmed by Sean’s awkwardness.

They embark...

“Operation Buffalo” is a high-end series set in Australia in 1956, at the height of the Cold War. The action mainly takes place on a top-secret military base at Maralinga, in the Australian Outback, where the British are conducting atomic bomb tests, with the connivance of the Australian government.

The six-part show – a blend of espionage thriller, political satire and biting black comedy – features a top-notch ensemble cast, led by Ewen Leslie, Jessica de Gouw and James Cromwell. It was ordered by Australian broadcaster ABC, and is being represented in international markets by About Premium Content.

Variety spoke to writer-director Peter Duncan about the show, which world premiered as part of Series Mania’s ongoing digital edition (March 25-April 7).

What was it about the historical events – nuclear testing, the Cold War, Suez etc. – at the center of your story that inspired you to write the series?

Ever since I was 11, I...

‘Buffalo.’

Porchlight Films’ Buffalo, an espionage thriller set during the British nuclear tests in outback South Australia in the 1950s, will have its world premiere at Series Mania in France next month.

Commissioned by the ABC, the six-part series from writer-director Peter Duncan stars Ewen Leslie, Jessica de Gouw and James Cromwell.

Buffalo (formerly Fallout) and See-Saw Films’ The End, the assisted dying family drama created by Samantha Strauss for Foxtel and the UK’s Sky, will both screen in the International Panorma section.

In addition, Lingo Pictures’ Upright will play in the Midnight Comedies sidebar and Playmaker Media’s The Commons will screen in the International Showcase.

Blackfella Films’ Total Control will have its European premiere in special screenings, attended by Rachel Griffiths (who is serving on the international jury) and Darren Dale. Lingo Pictures’ Helen Bowden will sit on the international short films jury.

Set in 1956 at the...

Ewen Leslie and Emma Booth filming The Gloaming (Photo credit: Stan).

For Vicki Madden, Blake Ayshford, Glendyn Ivin and no doubt myriad other content creators, the challenge is to find unique Australian stories which resonate internationally and can cut through the worldwide glut of English-language drama.

More broadly, Madden calls for more respect for writers from some producers and networks, telling If: “At times there is too much interference and the stories become bland and impersonal.”

Ayshford welcomes increasing collaboration between experienced writers and newer voices and predicts: “I think the next few years could be transformational for our industry and usher in a new generation of voices and stories.”

Ivin is excited by the competition from streaming services but wonders how many consumers can afford to spend more than $100 a month to subscribe to multiple platforms.

However Ivin, the director of The Cry, Safe Harbour and Penguin Bloom, the...

Michael Carrington.

The ABC intends to ramp up digital-first content as well as reaching new audiences, including those who rarely if ever watch broadcast television.

“We look for content that works across multiple platforms to appeal to a multitude of people, from traditional broadcast audiences to viewers who have never seen a TV schedule,” Michael Carrington, ABC director of entertainment and specialist, tells If.

“Great content is great content, no matter how people watch it. Programs like Total Control and Killing Eve have attracted younger audiences on iview in addition to strong results on linear. So we are not just talking about increasing the volume of digital-first content but how we can better curate content between our platforms.

“Saying that, we need to meet the growing expectation of audiences for high-quality content on demand. That will mean a greater focus on enhancing our content and technology for digital audiences, from...

Zenia Starr in ‘The End’ (Photo credit: Foxtel).

Zenia Starr made her screen debut in Mark Grentell’s 2013 cricket comedy Backyard Ashes but this year has been the first when she has worked virtually non-stop.

The Indian-born, Australian-raised actor modestly credits that to a number of factors including audiences’ growing appetite to see diversity on screens and those producers and directors who were willing to take a risk in hiring her.

Equally graciously she also thanks her agent, Catherine Poulton Management, luck and “maybe some divine intervention.”

After a string of roles in the ABC’s The Unlisted, the second series of Seven Network’s Drop Dead Weird, Stan’s upcoming The Gloaming, Foxtel’s The End and Maziar Lahooti’s debut feature Below, she says: “It’s the most momentum I’ve ever had.”

Playing a Mumbai resident in Anthony Maras’ Hotel Mumbai alongside Dev Patel, Armie Hammer, Jason Isaacs...

Ratidzo Mambo.

Last year Ratidzo Mambo figured she wasn’t being offered the type of roles she wanted and so she made a pivotal decision.

The Zimbabwean-born actor and former sales agent and distribution consultant resolved to take her fate into her own hands by becoming a creative producer, developing her own TV and film projects.

“I’ve had to learn how to multi-task because acting jobs are scarce and the types of roles I want to do are seldom offered to me,” Rati tells If via Skype from Bali, where she is finishing the bibles and treatments for a bunch of projects.

“Rather than blame people or live in a space of negativity, I have to take accountability. I have a lot to say and I am a storyteller as well.”

With the help of her Us manager, Fictional Entity’s Krista Carpenter (a former head of development at...

Keli Lee with The Gloaming’s Emma Booth and Ewen Leslie.

Disney Television Studios has axed ABC Studios International, the London-based unit which has a first-look deal with Hoodlum Entertainment and co-commissioned The Gloaming with Stan.

The London-based unit led by Keli Lee, ABC Studios’ managing director, international content and talent, appears to be a victim of Disney’s $US71 billion acquisition of most of 21st Century Fox’s entertainment assets.

Disney TV Studios, which encompasses ABC Studios/ABC Signature, 20th Century Fox TV and Fox 21 TV Studios, is re-evaluating its UK presence and overall international strategy, according to Variety.

However the move may not have any immediate or even longer term impact in Australia. Hoodlum had renewed its first-look deal with ABC Studios International and Disney Media Distribution will handle sales of The Gloaming.

Produced by the creator/showrunner, Sweet Potato Films’ Vicki Madden, Fiona McConaghy and 2 Jons’ John Molloy and Jon Adgemis,...

‘Safe Harbour’.

Matchbox Pictures drama Safe Harbour has won the International Emmy Award for Best TV Movie/Miniseries.

The four-part psychological thriller beat out fellow nominees Lust Stories (India), Se Eu Fechar Os Olhos Agora [If I Close My Eyes Now] (Brazil) and Trezor (Hungary).

First commissioned by Sbs, Safe Harbour follows a group of Aussie friends who come across a broken-down boat full of desperate asylum-seekers while on a yachting holiday. The Australians decide to tow the refugees, but the next morning the boat is gone. Years later they meet some of the refugees again and learn the truth: someone cut the rope between the boats and, as a result, seven people died.

Safe Harbour was scripted by Belinda Chayko (who also served as the showrunner), Matt Cameron and Phil Enchelmaier; directed by Glendyn Ivin; produced by Stephen Corvini, and stars Ewen Leslie, Phoebe Tonkin, Jacqueline McKenzie, Leeanna Walsman, Joel Jackson, Nicole Chamoun, Hazem Shammas and Robert Rabiah.

Stars: Aisling Franciosi, Baykali Ganambarr, Sam Claflin, Damon Herriman, Harry Greenwood, Ewen Leslie, Charlie Shotwell, Michael Sheasby, Charlie Jampijinpa Brown, Magnolia Maymuru | Written and Directed by Jennifer Kent

The Nightingale is the eagerly anticipated follow up to Jennifer Kent’s horror debut The Babadook. Set in 1825 Australia, only half a century or so after Captain James Cook claimed it for the British, Kent unapologetically presents you with the gloomy reality of invading colonialists brutally expanding their empire off the backs of indentured convicts and knee deep in the genocidal blood of indigenous, Aboriginal Australians.

Bullish Lt. Hawkins is an ambitious pragmatist who’s lost interest in the soldiers he commands at a remote outpost of the British Empire he’s established. Played by Sam Claflin (Oswald Moseley in Peaky Blinders), he was once motivated by the promise of the Captain’s job in a bigger town up north if he knuckled down for twelve months.

Sam Neill. (Photo: Ross Coffey)

The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (Aacta) will next month bestow actor Sam Neill with its highest honour, the Longford Lyell Award.

First presented in 1968, the award honours Australian film pioneer Raymond Longford and his partner in filmmaking and life, Lottie Lyell. It recognises a person who has made an outstanding contribution to the enrichment of Australia’s screen environment and culture.

Neill joins previous recipients such as Peter Weir, Fred Schepisi, Jan Chapman, David Stratton, Don McAlpine, Al Clark, Jacki Weaver, Andrew Knight, Cate Blanchett, Phillip Noyce and most recently, Bryan Brown.

“I am very thrilled by this honour indeed,” said Neill. “And very surprised! Let me check just in case they’ve made a mistake…”

Neill made his feature debut in Roger Donaldson’s Sleeping Dogs in 1979, which led to a breakthrough role in Gillian Armstrong’s My Brilliant Career opposite Judy Davis.

George MacKay in ‘True History of the Kelly Gang.’

Justin Kurzel’s True History of the Kelly Gang will open in Australian cinemas on January 9, just 18 days before its Australia Day premiere on Stan.

The short window and limited theatrical release were virtually inevitable after Stan announced the bushranger epic starring George MacKay, Russell Crowe, Nicholas Hoult and Essie Davis would premiere in summer as a Stan Original.

The major chains are determined to protect the traditional 90 day window and will not screen the film so distributor Transmission Films this week will start booking the title at the independent cinemas that are screening the Netflix productions The King, The Irishman, Marriage Story and The Two Popes and Amazon Studios’ The Report and Brittany Runs a Marathon.

The Netflix titles are screening at the Eddie Tamir family-owned Randwick Ritz Cinemas and Melbourne’s Lido, Classic and Cameo cinemas plus Mel Gibson...

For a small country with a film industry that is export-driven, the quality of New Zealand’s incentives is critical.

Despite the kudos and tourism dollars delivered by producing the New Line’s “Lord of the Rings” franchise and “The Hobbit,” by 2013 New Zealand knew that its incentives had lost their competitive edge.

In 2014, the government responded by collapsing its two film oversight bodies into one, and replacing the Large Budget Screen Production Grant and Screen Production Incentive Fund with the New Zealand Screen Production Grant.

The result is one of the simplest and most robust rebate programs anywhere in the world.

“Having a competitive incentive is what keeps you in the game,” says Catherine Bates, head of incentives within the New Zealand Film Commission. “New Zealand is now known for offering a mixture of size, scale, skills and locations.”

For international productions to access the program, a minimum of...

‘Lambs of God’.

Lingo Pictures’ four-part TV drama Lambs of God has collected an unprecedented 18 Aacta Award nominations, while Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale leads in film with 15 nods.

The Australian Academy revealed the full list of nominees for the annual awards today, with almost 60 to be presented across two events in Sydney in six weeks time.

Some 15 films are up for awards, though four dominate almost every category: Kent’s revenge tale, Anthony Maras’ debut feature Hotel Mumbai and David Michôd’s Netflix-backed The King, which each received 13 nominations, and Mirrah Foulkes’ dark comedy Judy & Punch, which earned nine. Each is nominated for Best Film alongside Rachel Griffiths’ Ride Like A Girl and Wayne Blair’s Top End Wedding.

Up in the Best Indie Film category (budgeted under $2 million) are Thomas M. Wright’s Acute Misfortune, Heath Davis’ Book Week, Rodd Rathjen’s Buoyancy, Imogen Thomas’ Emu...

‘The Nightingale.’

While Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale has achieved an 86 per cent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes since the world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival, many critics have described the tale of rape, murder and revenge as harrowing and bleak.

So in that context the film’s opening in Australia last weekend via Transmission Films was quite respectable – and some exhibitors expect it will have a leggy run.

Meanwhile Madman Entertainment’s The Australian Dream had a buoyant second weekend, helped by word-of-mouth and the two-for-one ticket offer to Afl members.

Rachel Ward’s Palm Beach advanced to $3.8 million after nabbing $305,000 in its fourth weekend, easing by 31 per cent for Universal Pictures. Kriv Stenders’ Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan dipped by just 16 per cent to $250,000 in its fourth, delivering $2.5 million for Transmission Films.

The Nightingale grossed $98,000 on 32 screens, bringing the total including festival screenings to...

‘Nekrotronic.’

Kiah Roache-Turner’s Nekrotronic opened in the Us last weekend as a multi-platform release.

Momentum Pictures launched the sci-fi horror comedy starring Monica Bellucci, Ben O’Toole, David Wenham, Caroline Ford, Tess Haubrich and Bob Epine Savea in cinemas in 10 cities and on VOD and digital HD.

The eOne-owned distributor did not share box office figures, which are typically modest for day-and-date releases. The benefit of the theatrical exposure is that the reviews and publicity give the film a profile which pays off in ancillary revenues.

The director trimmed five minutes of exposition scenes after the world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, resulting in more favourable reviews, particularly from genre websites.

For example, We Are Movie Geek’s Marc Butterfield hailed the film as “hilarious, fun, action packed, and full of gross, splashy, gooey moments; in other words, fantastic.”

Butterfield observed: “The movie has a nice amalgamation of story elements from Ghostbusters,...

‘The Nightingale.’

Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale platformed in Los Angeles and New York last weekend, drawing sizable audiences and largely positive reviews from Us critics.

Us distributor IFC Films launched the female-driven revenge thriller at Arclight Hollywood and New York’s IFC Centre, grossing $US40,000, with sold-out shows on Friday and Saturday.

The 1825-set tale starring Aisling Franciosi, Sam Claflin, newcomer Baykali Ganambarr, Michael Sheasby, Damon Herriman, Harry Greenwood and Ewen Leslie will expand in both cities and open in Austin, Texas, Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Boston on August 9.

Kristina Ceyton, who produced with Kent and Made Up Stories’ Bruna Papandrea and Steve Hutensky, tells If the roll-out will encompass at least 100 screens over the next few weeks.

“The upcoming support we have from the exhibition community has been outstanding, with Landmark, AMC, Regal and Alamo all on board for this release, as well as top art...

(L-r) Ewen Leslie, Shaka Cook and Jessica de Gouw.

Production is about to begin on Porchlight Films’ Fallout (working title) for the ABC, a six-part drama inspired by the 1950s British nuclear testing that took place in outback South Australia. Written and directed by Peter Duncan (Rake), the project has attracted a strong cast including Ewen Leslie, Jessica de Gouw, James Cromwell, Ningali Lawford Wolf and Shaka Cook.

Fallout is set in 1956, at the height of the Cold War, when the Menzies Government has welcomed British atomic bomb testing at remote, ‘uninhabited’ Maralinga, in outback South Australia.

Leslie plays Major Leo Carmichael (Leslie), an Australian Army engineer and WWII hero, who is charged with keeping the base functioning smoothly. But testing the most dangerous weapon in the world is no easy task for Leo with a commanding officer (Cromwell) who is not fit for purpose; a new meteorologist, Dr Eva...