Pukeko Pictures’ ‘Cleverman’ Goes into Production

Goalpost Pictures And New Zealand’s Pukeko Pictures’ ‘Cleverman’ Goes into Production for
Australia’s Abc Television, Distributed by Red Arrow International

Production has begun in Sydney, Australia on CLEVERMAN, a six-part high concept genre drama, with a superb ensemble cast including Scottish actor Iain Glen (Game of Thrones) – image attached, Golden Globe nominee Frances O’Connor (The Missing), Deborah Mailman (The Sapphires), Hunter Page-Lochard (The Sapphires), Rob Collins (The Lion King) and Stef Dawson (The Hunger Games).

A smart, sexy and dangerous drama set in the near future, CLEVERMAN sees a group of non-humans, battling for survival in a world where humans feel increasingly inferior to them and want to silence, exploit and kill them. Central to the drama is the story of two estranged Indigenous brothers who are forced together to fight for their own survival. Otherworldly creatures also emerge into this ‘real world’ dystopian landscape, in this startlingly original, action-packed genre series.

CLEVERMAN is an official Australian/New Zealand co-production between Goalpost Pictures Australia and Pukeko Pictures. World-renowned Weta Workshop (Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit trilogy, King Kong, Avatar, The Amazing Spider-Man 3, Godzilla), through their association with Pukeko Pictures, together with Jacob Nash (Bangarra Dance Company) will be providing the otherworldly creature design. Park Road Post Production will provide picture, visual effects and sound post production services for the Cleverman project. Recent shows completed at Park Road include The Hobbit films, New Zealand hits The Dark Horse, and What We Do In The Shadows.

The standout cast also includes Ryan Corr (The Water Diviner), Tasma Walton (Mystery Road), Rarriwuy Hick (Redfern Now), Tony Briggs (The Slap), Australian stage and screen legend Robyn Nevin (Top of the Lake), Lynette Curran (Wentworth Prison) and veteran Indigenous actor Jack Charles (Gods of Wheat Street.)

Wayne Blair, director of the Australian box office hit The Sapphires, also produced by Goalpost Pictures, and the upcoming film Septembers of Shiraz with Adrien Brody and Salma Hayek, is lead director, with acclaimed director/writer/actress/performer Leah Purcell also directing.

The epic series (6x1 hour) will screen on ABC TV in Australia, with Red Arrow International distributing the drama worldwide, and eOne Australia attached for domestic sales.

The series is an original concept commissioned by the ABC TV Indigenous Department and produced in association with Screen Australia, Screen NSW and Red Arrow International.

It is based on an original concept by Ryan Griffen. Michael Miller is script producer and writers are Michael Miller and Jon Bell. Producers are Rosemary Blight and Lauren Edwards for Goalpost Pictures, Ryan Griffen, and, for Pukeko Pictures, Angela Littlejohn, with Executive Producers Sally Riley, Kylie du Fresne, Ben Grant, Martin Baynton, Adam Fratto, Jan David Frouman and Amelie Kienlin.

Sally Riley, Executive Producer and head of ABC TV’s Indigenous Department said: “CLEVERMAN is set to be a major drama highlight for ABC TV in 2016. Many years of hard work, collaboration and exceptional talent have brought about this exciting opportunity to invite Australian and international audiences into a bold new world where Aboriginal stories and legends meet high concept genre drama.”

Amelie Kienlin, Executive Producer and VP Scripted Acquisitions at Red Arrow, said: “CLEVERMAN is a particularly bold and ambitious project, and must be one of the most original genre drama series to be currently in production anywhere in the world. We are delighted to be distributing this new show to broadcasters internationally.”

ENDS

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