Sean Keenan and Ben O’Toole will play best friends turned bitter rivals in ABC surfing drama Barons, which has wrapped filming in NSW.
Produced by Fremantle, Micanical Media, and 2Jons, the eight-part ’70s-set series follows a surf-crazed group of hippy friends whose desire for ultimate freedom and the perfect wave takes them from the beach to the boardroom as they build billion-dollar surf empires.
Keenan, fresh from roles in festival darlings Nitram and The Power of the Dog, plays Trotter opposite O’Toole, known for Halifax: Retribution and Amazing Grace, as Snapper. Jillian Nguyen takes on the role of Trotter’s wife and business partner, Tracy.
The supporting cast includes Hunter Page-Lochard, George Pullar, Lincoln Younes, Sophia Forrest, Vivienne Awosoga, Nicholas Burton, Karina Banno, newcomer Megan MacKenzie, Kick Gurry, Catherine Van-Davies, Alexander England, and British-American actress Ione Skye.
Directing the drama are Shawn Seet, Fadia Abboud, and Emmy award-winning surf director Taylor Steele, who captured all the surf action.
Barons was created by Michael Lawrence, John Molloy, and Liz Doran, who penned the episodes alongside Matt Cameron and Marieke Hardy. Lawrence and Molloy are producing, with Fremantle’s Justin Davies also producing.
Executive producers are Chris Oliver-Taylor, Nick Cook, Taylor Steele, Doran, Jon Adgemis, and the late Michael Gudinski. Executive producing for the ABC are Brett Sleigh and Rebecca Anderson.
Major production investment was provided by Screen Australia, in association with the ABC, with support from Screen NSW.
The series will be screened on ABC and ABC iview next year, with Fremantle handling international distribution.