Production of the adaptation of Trent Dalton’s iconic Australian novel, Boy Swallows Universe, by Australia’s Brouhaha Entertainment together with Anonymous Content, and Chapter One, has begun in Brisbane, Australia.
The 8 part limited series will screen globally on Netflix and will star Travis Fimmel (Vikings, Warcraft, Raised by Wolves, Black Snow) as Lyle Orlik, Simon Baker (The Mentalist, Breath, High Ground) as Robert Bell, Phoebe Tonkin (Babylon, Kid Snow, Transfusion, Westworld) will play the role of Frances Bell. The roles of the young Eli and Gus Bell will be played by Felix Cameron (Penguin Bloom) appearing as Eli Bell, and Lee Tiger Halley (The Heights, Featherweight, Crazy Fun Park) as Gus Bell.
Other characters central to the lives of Eli and Gus are played by Bryan Brown (Cocktail, Breaker Morant, Two Hands and Palm Beach) as Slim Halliday, Anthony La Paglia (Nitram, Florida Man, Without a Trace) as Tytus Broz, and Sophie Wilde (You Don’t Know Me, The Fuck It Bucket, The Portable Door, Tom Jones) in the role of Caitlyn Spies.
Other cast include; Christopher James Baker (True Detective, Ozark, New Gold Mountain) as Ivan Kroll, HaiHa Le (Hungry Ghost, Back to the Rafters, Hardball) as Bich Dang, Deborah Mailman (Total Control, Mystery Road, Offspring, The Sapphires) as Poppy Birkbeck, Ben O’Toole (Hacksaw Ridge, Detroit, Bloody Hell, The Water Diviner) as Teddy, Zachary Wan (Never Too Late, The Unlisted, Hardball) as Darren Dang , Millie Donaldson and Eloise Rothfield will play the roles of 17 and 13 year old Shelley Huffman, respectively.
The series is adapted for screen by writer John Collee (Master and Commander, Happy Feet, Hotel Mumbai).
Executive Producers are Troy Lum (The Water Diviner, Saving Mr Banks, Mao’s Last Dancer) and Andrew Mason (The Matrix, The Water Diviner) on behalf of Brouhaha, Sophie Gardiner (Howards End, Little Women, Chimerica) for Chapter One, Anonymous Content’s Kerry Kohansky-Roberts (Foe, Boy Erased), Joel Edgerton (The Gift, Boy Erased, The King) and Toby Bentley (Best Interests, Kiri).
Directors are Bharat Nalluri (Spooks, Hustle, Life on Mars), Jocelyn Moorhouse (Proof, How to Make an American Quilt, A Thousand Acres), and Kim Mordaunt (The Rocket, Fires, Wakefield).
Director of Photography is Shelly Farthing-Dawe, Production designer is Michelle McGahey, Costume Designer is Kerry Thompson, Hair and Makeup Designer is Angela Conte and Casting Director is Nikki Barrett.
Boy Swallows Universe is supported by the Queensland Government through Screen Queensland’s Production Attraction Strategy.
