US actor Ben Feldman of Superstore, Mad Men and Silicon Valley fame fronts the cast of Stan and Lionsgate’s upcoming comedic crime thriller Population 11, produced by Jungle Entertainment.
The 12-part series, created by Phil Lloyd and directed and executive produced by Trent O’Donnell, is inspired by the missing person case of Paddy Moriarty, who was last seen in the small Northern Territory town of Larrimah on December 16, 2017 and was also the subject of recent Netflix doco Last Stop Larrimah.
The plot follows a man who goes missing (Darren Gilshenan) from a tiny outback town of only 12 residents, and his estranged son Andy, played by Feldman, who journeys from the US to find him. Another outsider, Cassie (Perry Mooney), comes to Andy’s aid, and they find themselves in increasing danger as they delve into the town’s secrets.
Population 11 was first announced as in development via Stan and Lionsgate’s originals development deal back in March 2022, but further news about the project has been largely kept under wraps since. Production took place in the Kimberleys in Western Australia last year, and the series will premiere on Stan March 14. Population 11 is the second series to be co-commissioned by Stan and Lionsgate, following Lingo Pictures’ Prosper.
The ensemble cast also includes Katrina Milosevic as cop Sgt. Geraldine Walters; Chai Hansen as Gareth Biggins, Stephen Curry as Noel Pinkus; Tony Briggs as Jimmy James; Genevieve Lemon as Valerie Hogarth; Rick Donald as Leon Croydman, Pippa Grandison and Steve Le Marquand as Maureen and Trevor Taylor, William Zappa as Cedric Blumenthal, Emily Taheny as Audrey Denning, Karis Oka as Shoshanna Ling, Fiona Choi as Charmaine Ling, Sachin Joab as Petey P and Chris Kirby as Dom.
Lloyd served as showrunner, working with writing team Sarinah Masukor, Julia Moriarty, Steve Toltz, Michael Bond and Zoe Pepper. Directing alongside O’Donnell, who was set-up director, were Ben Young and Helena Brooks. Executive producers include Lloyd, O’Donnell, Feldman, Chloe Rickard and Jason Burrows, with Bridget Callow-Wright and Factor 30 Films’ Melissa Kelly producing.
Stan, Lionsgate and Screen NSW supported development, while Screenwest, Lotterywest and the Western Australian Regional Screen Fund provided major production investment.
“Following the success of the Stan Original Series Prosper, Stan’s partnership with the prestigious Hollywood studio Lionsgate delivers yet another epic series as part of our ongoing strategy to deliver fresh and exceptional Originals for Australian and global audiences,” said Stan chief content officer Cailah Scobie.
“Population 11, starring Ben Feldman alongside a stand out Australian cast, is a comedy crime thriller with performances as captivating as the Western Australian landscape, and we can’t wait to share this series.”
Burrows, Jungle founder and EP, added: “Phil’s eighth original series is set to be a really fun jam-packed ride, both as a thriller and as a comedy. It will be the first Australian series that he and Trent have collaborated on since The Moodys, and together with the all-star writing team and our partners Lionsgate, Stan, Screenwest and Screen NSW, it has all the ingredients for a breakout Australian drama. This will be Jungle’s first show in WA, and we are delighted with the world we have created there with WA creatives, crews and collaborators.”
Lionsgate will handle international sales.