Kaitlyn Dever, Alycia Debnam-Carey and Aisha Dee will topline Apple Cider Vinegar, a limited series that Netflix has ordered from See-Saw Films and its joint venture with Samantha Strauss, Picking Scabs.
The drama, created by Strauss and to be directed by Jeffrey Walker, is understood to be based on the story of Belle Gilson, a wellness influencer who falsely claimed to have cancer she was managing through diet, exercise and natural remedies, while peddling her cookbook and mobile app.
Per the official synopsis, Apple Cider Vinegar takes place at the birth of social media and follows two young women – Belle and Milla – who set out to cure their life-threatening illnesses through health and wellness, motivating their growing online communities along the way.
The cast also includes Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Ashley Zukerman, and Mark Coles Smith.
IF understands production is already underway in Melbourne, with support from VicScreen via the Victorian Production Fund. The state government expects the production to create 450 jobs and pump $13 million into the economy.
Anya Beyersdorf and Angela Betzien have written the scripts with Strauss. Yvonne Collins will produce, with executive producers including See-Saw’s Liz Watts, Helen Gregory, Emile Sherman and Iain Canning, Picking Scabs’ Strauss and Louise Gough, and Kaitlyn Dever. See-Saw’s Libby Sharpe is a co-producer, while Walker and See-Saw’s Simon Gillis are co-EPs.
Apple Cider Vinegar is the first project to enter production under Strauss’ Picking Scabs label; she and See-Saw first formed the JV in 2020 off the back of producing Foxtel’s The End together.
In a joint statement, Watts and Gough said the series was a Melbourne story with a global reach.
“Samantha Strauss has created a series that is searing in its comment but entertaining at its very core. It’s complex, it’s got bounce and it’s got bite, and we love it. We have a brilliant creative team under the fine leadership of director Jeffrey Walker and one of the best cast ensembles in an Australian production,” they said.
Netflix ANZ director of content Que Minh Luu said its ambitions for Australian content continue to build with Apple Cider Vinegar.
“We’re luring our homegrown global success stories back here where they belong to make Australian shows that deliver the unexpected thrills Australian audiences crave on Netflix,” she said.
“Between See-Saw Films’/Picking Scabs, the extraordinary creator Sam Strauss, and our shockingly brilliant cast, we can’t wait for this incredible drama series to delight audiences wherever they are.”