Today, Prime Video, Curio Pictures, and Screen Australia announced the start of production, on the new Australian Original series The Narrow Road to the Deep North, which is based on Richard Flanagan’s Booker Prize-winning novel of the same name.
A story of an unforgettable love set against the darkness of war, Jacob Elordi (Euphoria, Saltburn, Priscilla) leads an incredible Australian and international all-star cast, alongside Ciarán Hinds (Belfast), with Odessa Young (Mothering Sunday, Shirley), Olivia DeJonge (Elvis), Heather Mitchell (Love Me, Upright), Thomas Weatherall (Heartbreak High), Show Kasamatsu, and Simon Baker (Limbo, Breath).
The new five-part drama series, adapted by writer Shaun Grant and directed by Justin Kurzel, will launch on Prime Video in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. The series will be distributed internationally by Sony Pictures Television. Principal production funding is provided by Screen Australia, with assistance from the NSW Government through Screen NSW’s Made in NSW and PDV Funds. Jacob Elordi will return home to Australia to play the lead role of the younger Dorrigo Evans (1940s). Other cast members include Odessa Young (Amy Mulvaney), Olivia DeJonge (younger Ella), and Simon Baker (Keith). Fast-forward to the 1980s, the series will feature Ciarán Hinds who will play the older Dorrigo, with Heather Mitchell (older Ella). Thomas Weatherall (Frank Gardiner), Show Kasamatsu (Major Nakamura), and Charles An (The Goanna) will also join the cast.
Set against the shadows of World War II, the series tells the epic story of Lieutenant Dorrigo Evans, and how his all-too-brief love affair with Amy Mulvaney shaped his life. The story is told over multiple time periods, as we journey from Evans’ childhood to his experience as a prisoner-of-war on the Thailand-Burma Railway as a young man, and later in life, as a respected surgeon and Australian war hero. The Narrow Road to the Deep North is a love story to sustain audiences through the darkest of times, an intimate character study illustrating the strength of the human spirit in the face of adversity, and an investigation into a marriage and an unforgettable love affair.
“With talents like Jacob Elordi, Ciarán Hinds and Odessa Young at the helm, The Narrow Road to the Deep North promises to be a cinematic, visceral, and undeniable contemporary love story, which explores the power of mateship and the strength of the human spirit in the face of adversity,” said Sarah Christie, senior development executive at Amazon MGM Studios. “We just know that this series is going to resonate with customers in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, and are proud to be partnering with Curio Pictures’ Jo Porter and Rachel Gardner, who will bring this incredible story to life alongside the award-winning director and executive producer Justin Kurzel, and award-winning writer and executive producer Shaun Grant.”
“Curio is incredibly proud to be producing The Narrow Road to the Deep North. The power of the storytelling, which began with Richard Flanagan’s seminal novel; the brilliance of the creative team, led by Shaun Grant and Justin Kurzel; and our breathtakingly accomplished cast will make this a landmark production for Australian television and a sweeping story to be embraced by audiences around the world,” said Curio Pictures’ Jo Porter and Rachel Gardner.
The Narrow Road to the Deep North is produced by Curio Pictures in Australia. Working with Curio Pictures’ executive producers Jo Porter and Rachel Gardner, the series is adapted by writer Shaun Grant and directed by Justin Kurzel, who both serve as executive producers, with Alexandra Taussig producing.
Screen Australia Head of Content Grainne Brunsdon, “Shaun Grant and Justin Kurzel have created an epic war drama from Richard Flanagan’s novel, steeped in love and transformational power. Full of grandeur and richness, this series brings to life the horror and realities of war and imprisonment – and is destined to engage audiences worldwide as a result.”
Head of Screen NSW, Kyas Hepworth said, “Screen NSW is excited to support Curio Pictures in their adaptation of the Booker-Prize winning novel, The Narrow Road to the Deep North, and secure this production for the state through our Made in NSW and PDV funds. The Narrow Road to the Deep North is led by a strong cast and crew, and I look forward to seeing the series hit our screens on Prime Video in the near future.”
