Production has commenced on a new Stan Original Series “Caught” (styled as “C*A*U*G*H*T”).
“Caught” is from Kick Gurry (“Edge of Tomorrow”), who wrote the six-part series and will act as director and producer.
Gurry will also star in the series alongside Hollywood heavyweight Sean Penn (“Gaslit”) and long-time Australian screen stars Bryan Brown (“Bloom”) and Erik Thomson (“Back to the Rafters”).
Other cast members include: Alexander England (“Black Snow”), Bella Heathcote (“Bloom”), Ben O’Toole (“Detroit”), Dorian Nkono (“The Twelve”), Fayssal Bazzi (“Stateless”), Lincoln Younes (“Last King of the Cross”), Matthew Fox (“Last Light”), Mel Jarnson (“Mortal Kombat”) and Rebecca Breeds (“Clarice”).
The satirical series, produced in association with Fremantle, follows four Australian soldiers sent on a secret mission to a war-torn country. They are captured by freedom fighters, mistaken for Americans and produce a hostage video that goes viral.
In addition to Stan, the series will launch on ITVX in the U.K. in 2023 thanks to a deal with Fremantle.
Penn is also serving as executive producer on the series, alongside producers John Schwarz and Michael Schwarz (“Gold”) from Deeper Water Films, and Brendan Donoghue.
Stan’s Cailah Scobie and Amanda Duthie will be EPs on the project for Stan.
Scobie, Stan’s chief content officer, noted the gravity of the project for the streaming service.
“To have an award-winning international superstar like Sean Penn join a superb cast that includes major Australian and Hollywood actors like Bryan Brown, Bella Heathcote, Fayssal Bazzi and Matthew Fox is a real coup,” she said.
“Helmed by the extraordinary Kick Gurry, “Caught” marks yet another blockbuster addition to our growing slate of locally produced, world-class Stan Originals — with the series promising to poke fun at celebrity culture, while exploring the often outrageous price of fame.”
Gurry said: “The biggest challenge for me was creating something worthy enough of all my insanely talented friends. I genuinely cannot wait to share this show with the whole world and look forward to the internet telling me how terribly I missed the mark.”
Penn was full of praise for actor, writer, director and producer Gurry.
“Kick’s brand of irreverence is so charged by an enthusiasm for all things considered inappropriate. From ball-sacks, to fame, idiots and intellectuals, and finally to that creepy-crawly continuum of war. “Caught” captures the comedy that is generally confined to fox holes,” he said.
Jamie Lynn, executive VP of international co-productions for Fremantle was similarly enthused about the project and its maker.
“Stan continues to set a high bar for premium originals and with the mirrored ambition of the soon-to-launch ITVX, we knew this could be a perfect partnership,” Lynn said.
“Kick Gurry’s contagious enthusiasm and delightful scripts immediately convinced us this was a special and timely project unlike anything else in the market. The fact that A-list talent like Sean Penn, Matthew Fox and others quickly came to the same conclusion, along with an array of star-studded cameos, only reaffirmed this. “Caught” is going to surprise people in 2023 and we can’t wait to share it with the world.”