Comedy-drama The Artful Dodger has become Disney+’s second returnable Australian Original after Shipwreck Hunters Australia, with the streamer ordering an eight-episode second season.
Thomas Brodie-Sangster is set to return as Jack Dawkins aka The Artful Dodger, along with David Thewlis as Fagin, and Maia Mitchell as Lady Belle Fox.
Set 15 years after the events of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist, the first season explored the adult double life of Charles Dickens’ famous prince of thieves, who works as a surgeon but can’t shake his predilection for crime.
The new episodes – to be filmed at Sydney’s Callan Park next year – will pick up where the heart’s desires of Dodger, Fagin, and Lady Belle left off, promising, as the synopsis states, “cunning thievery, snappy humour, life-and-death surgeries, and romance with a twist”.
Series co-creator James McNamara leads the writing team with Kate Mulvany, Dan Knight, and Miranda Tapsell. Gracie Otto returns to share directing duties with Ben Young, while Jeffrey Walker will serve as a consultant.
The Artful Dodger is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television’s Curio Pictures. Curio Pictures’ Jo Porter and Rachel Gardner are executive producer/producers, with McNamara an executive producer and Cameron Welsh as series producer. McNamara co-created the series with David Maher and David Taylor.
NSW State Government is supporting season two through Screen NSW’s Made in NSW Fund. Screen NSW is also supporting post, digital, and visual effects.
The series was one of nine new Australian originals announced by Disney+ in 2022, going on to premiere in November last year.
According to the company, The Artful Dodger is the top Australian Original title for Disney+ to date*, with particular relevance in Australia, EMEA, and on Hulu in the US.
The Walt Disney Company Australia and New Zealand senior vice president and managing director Kylie Watson-Wheeler was pleased to give global audiences more of what they’d been asking for.
“The return of our Australian-born Disney+ Original scripted drama, complete with all-star cast and a brilliant crew, is a testament to the series’ high calibre of production and its local and international audience success,” she said.
“We’re delighted this high-stakes romantic drama of heists, comedy, and beautifully complicated life and love, will thrill and entertain again.”
*Based on premiere episode views after 12 weeks