Ciaran Hinds and Odessa Young have enlisted alongside Jacob Elordi from Euphoria in the high-profile Australian miniseries, “The Narrow Road to the Deep North,” currently in production. This five-part adaptation of Richard Flanaghan’s Booker Prize-winning novel unfolds a poignant love story against the World War II backdrop. Curio Pictures spearheads production, and Prime Video is set to release it in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, while Sony Pictures Television handles distribution in other regions.
Flanaghan’s 2013 novel spans a war-dominated century, with the forced labor on the Thai-Burma Railway serving as its dramatic core. Narrated by an Australian doctor captured during WWII, the tale transforms him into an unlikely hero post-war. The series, a longstanding project under Fremantle, secures principal funding from Screen Australia, aided by the New South Wales government through Screen NSW’s Made in NSW and PDV Funds.
Boasting a dynamic creative duo in screenwriter Shaun Grant and director Justin Kurzel, known for their collaboration on the Cannes competition film “Nitram,” the adaptation weaves multiple time frames. Grant and Kurzel, also serving as executive producers, bring their expertise from projects like “Macbeth,” “Assassin’s Creed,” and “Shantaram.” Alexandra Taussig takes on the role of producer.
The stellar cast includes Olivia DeJonge, Heather Mitchell, Thomas Weatherall, Show Kasamatsu, and Simon Baker. Jo Porter and Rachel Gardner from Curio Pictures express confidence in the series, anticipating it to be a groundbreaking Australian production resonating globally. Sarah Christie, a senior development executive at Amazon MGM Studios, envisions “The Narrow Road to the Deep North” as a contemporary love story exploring the strength of camaraderie and human resilience amidst adversity.
Screen Australia’s Head of Content, Grainne Brunsdon, commends Grant and Kurzel for crafting an epic war drama filled with love and transformative power. Describing the series as grandiose and rich, she emphasizes its portrayal of the horrors and realities of war and imprisonment.
