Production has begun on “Boy Swallows Universe”, the series based on the book of the same name.
The series is being produced by Brouhaha Entertainment together with Anonymous Content and Chapter One for Netflix.
Netflix has also revealed the high-profile case of the eight-part series.
Simon Baker (“The Mentalist”) will play Robert Bell, Deborah Mailman (“Mystery Road”) will appear as Poppy Birkbeck, Anthony La Paglia (“Without a Trace”) has been cast as Tytys Broz, Phoebe Tonkin (“Westworld”) is Frances Bell, Travis Fimmel (“Vikings”) is Lyle Orlik, Christopher James Baker (“Ozark”) is Ivan Kroll and Bryan Brown (“Bloom”) is Slim Halliday.
The roles of yonu Eli Bell and Gus Bell will be played bt Felix Cameron (“Penguin Bloom”) and Lee Tiger Halley (“The Heights”), respectively.
“Bow Swallows Universse” hss been adapted for screen by writer John Collee (“Master and Commander”), with executive producers Troy Lum (“Mao’s Last Dancer”) and Andrew Mason (“The Matrix”) on behalf of Brouhaha, Sophie Gardiner (“Little Women”) for Chapter One, and Kerry Kohansky-Roberts (“Boy Erased”), Joel Edgerton (“The King”) and Toby Bentley (“Best Interests”) for Anonymous Content.
The productiom is supported by the Queensland Government through Screen Queensland’s Production Attraction Strategy and is being filmed in Brisbane and its surrounds.
The series is based on Trent Dalton’s novel and tells the story of working-class Brisbane teenager Eli Bell who is exposed to drug addiction, ex-cons, poverty, violence and the power of love.
Queensland’s premier Annastacia Palaszuck has previously said it makes sense to produce the story in Brisbane.
“Brisbane-based author Trent Dalton captivated the world with his brutal yet magical tale set in 1980s Brisbane among iconic local landmarks such as Boggo Road Gaol and Brisbane City Hall’s clock tower,” she said.
“This uniquely Brisbane production will also boost our local screen industry by injecting around $33 million into the Queensland economy and creating approximately 185 jobs for cast and crew and an estimated 2,500 extras.”