Prime Video has ordered three new Australian original titles, growing its local slate to 34 commissions since 2019.
The new titles include two true-crime docuseries and a fourth season of the sports documentary “The Test,” all launching from 2027.
“Free Spirits: The Backpacker Poisonings” (w/t) follows eight backpackers, including two Australians, who travelled through Southeast Asia in late 2024. A night out in Laos left six of them dead; two of the group survived, and one of them lost their sight as a result. Drawing on the travellers’ own phone footage, final voice messages and interviews with the surviving backpacker and the victims’ families, the three-part series pieces together what led to the tragedy and the effort to understand what happened afterward. Cineflix produces for Amazon MGM Studios.
“Madness of Three” examines the 2022 killings in Wieambilla, Queensland, where a trio of locals, including two former teachers, fatally shot two police officers and a neighbour. Using exclusive access, the five-part docuseries traces how conspiracy theories, delusion and online radicalisation pushed Nathaniel, Stacey and Gareth Train toward violence. Blackfella Films produces for Amazon MGM Studios.
Season 4 of “The Test” tracks the Australian men’s cricket team as they return to South Africa, play a five-match series in India, contest the 150th Anniversary Test and head into the 2027 Ashes. Cricket Australia, Whooshka Media and Amazon MGM Studios produce.
“We strongly believe that to be successful globally, you need to be successful locally,” said Sarah Christie, head of Australian and New Zealand originals at Amazon MGM Studios. “These new commissions reflect our continued dedication to telling compelling Australian stories that matter – from the sporting moments that unite us, to true crime cases that gripped us locally and made headlines internationally. Australia is home to extraordinary creative talent and we are proud to be investing in series that not only resonate with Australian audiences but captivate viewers around the world. These are powerful, authentic stories told with the depth and insight they deserve.”
The new commissions join a growing roster of Australian Prime Video originals that includes “The Narrow Road to the Deep North,” “Deadloch” Seasons 1 and 2, “Top End Bub” and sports documentaries “Final Siren: Inside the AFL” and Seasons 1-3 of “The Test.”
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Amazon MGM Studios has also used Australia as a production hub for international titles including “Subversion,” “Spaceballs: The New One,” “Honeymoon With Harry,” “Foe” and “Thirteen Lives.”
From Variety US