New Netflix outback drama Desert King has begun its takeover of the Northern Territory and South Australia, with Easy Tiger and Ronde commencing production on the six-part series.
Announced as part of streamer’s next phase of Australian production last month, the story follows a succession battle for control of the world’s largest cattle station, at the centre of which is the Lawson family. With generational clashes threatening to tear the family apart, the outback’s most powerful factions – rival cattle barons, desert gangsters, Indigenous elders, and billionaire miners – move in for the kill.
Tim Lee and Ben Davies created the concept, with the latter also executive producing alongside Rob Gibson and Ian Collie. The creative team also includes producer Paul Ranford and director Greg McLean. Cast details are yet to be revealed.
Filming will take place across Darwin and Adelaide throughout the next 6-8 weeks, backed by the Northern Territory Government’s Production Attraction Incentive Program (PAIP) and by funding from the South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC) through the SAFC Screen Production Fund.
Post-production is also taking place in South Australia, supported by the SAFC’s SA Post-Production, Digital and Visual Effects (PDV) Rebate.
Davies said the production had embedded itself “in a most fantastic way” within the Top End cattle industry, a world “rarely seen” on screen.
“We have just started shooting on a cattle station in the Northern Territory,” he said.
“That’s where this epic story is set, and where we meet the Lawson family, as well as a group of Top-End characters that we know audiences will simply love.
“Of the 180 crew we have in the Territory, at least 140 are living on the station. It’s a monumental effort by production to pull this off in such a remote place. In terms of infrastructure and scale this cattle property is unmatched anywhere else in the world, so fortunately it can accommodate our large cast and crew. And with the team living here, we’re capturing remarkably authentic images that, when matched with powerful storytelling, encapsulate the world we’re looking to share, not just locally but globally as well.”
According to Netflix, Desert King will be one of the largest local screen productions filmed in both the NT and South Australia.
It comes after Netflix partnered with Screen Territory on the First Nations Production Ready Bootcamp to support 10 First Nations participants by providing a comprehensive overview of the ins and outs of screen production, while also preparing them for trainee and attachment positions.
Screen Territory director Jennie Hughes said the “ambitious” Desert King couldn’t have been made anywhere but the NT.
“[The series] captures the vastness, beauty, and scale of the Territory, which is going to give this project an unparalleled sense of authenticity, aesthetic, and audience appeal,” she said.
“Desert King features all the ingredients to become a flagship Australian series with an extraordinary cast and crew featuring Australia’s finest talents.”
SAFC CEO Kate Croser said her agency was proud to support the new series via a South Australian crew comprising post-production services and key creatives, including Ranford.
“We are delighted to welcome Netflix back to South Australia along with award-winning production companies Easy Tiger and Ronde for Desert King, set to be the largest Netflix series ever made in the state,” she said.
“This major new series is the latest exciting example of the fruitful screen production alliance that exists between South Australia and Northern Territory, where the SAFC’s flexible Adelaide Studios production facilities, coupled with South Australia’s world-class crews and PDV providers, provide the perfect base for productions filming at locations across both regions.”