Theo and Nathan Saidden are taking their Superwog characters to Netflix with new series, Son of a Donkey.
Production has begun on the six-part comedy, which picks up with Theo just as he moves out of his home to claim his independence — until he’s faced with the harsh realities of adulthood. From driving fines and daddy issues to internet scams and a lot of therapy, Theo and his best friend Johnny get up to their usual antics as they come to terms with what’s most important: family.
The Saiddens will write, direct, and star in the episodes, while also producing with Princess Pictures.
Filming will take place on-location in Melbourne, with the series supported by VicScreen through the Victorian Screen Incentive (VSI).
Theo and Nathan Saidden promised Son of a Donkey would be “the wildest show we’ve ever made”.
“There are new characters, bigger ideas, more action, more craziness,” they said.
“It’s just so exciting to be working with a service that puts us on screens all around the world.”
The Australian brothers have amassed over 3.4 million YouTube subscribers and 476 million video views on their worldwide popular channel. This success led to the creation of the Superwog television series, which has enjoyed two successful seasons on ABC iView. Following its run, both seasons, named Superbro outside of Australia, streamed on Netflix worldwide, staying two weeks on the Australia and New Zealand weekly Top 10 lists.
Executive Producer for Princess Pictures, Mike Cowap, said he was excited to see the pair grow their audience further.
“We’ve been proud to support Theo and Nathan on their evolution from short online comedy to half-hour episodes and now to the most ambitious season-spanning epic story to date,” he said.
“All shot through with their larger-than-life characters and trademark irreverent, slapstick humour.
“They’ve already earned a passionate fan base outside of Australia, but with their first Netflix series we’re excited to see that grow exponentially.”
Netflix ANZ content director Que Minh Luu said Son of a Donkey was a “heady mix of absurd satire, laughs and profanity that delivers a uniquely Australian type of show”.
“It’s a pleasure to collaborate with Theo, Nathan, and the team at Princess Pictures who take making comedy extremely seriously, and with enormous pride in writing these fan-favourite characters.”