Wentworth reboot lands at 5 in the UK as Fremantle takes Beyond Bars to market

Wentworth: Beyond Bars will debut later this year

Skydance-owned broadcaster 5 has acquired exclusive UK rights to the forthcoming reboot of women’s prison drama Wentworth, which is being made for Binge in Australia and distributed by Fremantle.

Production on Wentworth: Beyond Bars began in late July in Melbourne. The show will premiere in Australia on DAZN-owned Binge in late 2026 under the title Wentworth: Halfway Home.

5 will launch the show in the UK later this year following a deal with Fremantle.

Eight seasons of Wentworth previously aired across 5 and 5Star until 2021. The series was sold into more than 180 territories, with buyers including Netflix in the US, and became one of Australian television’s most iconic dramas.

It also inspired local adaptations in the Netherlands (Celblok H), Germany (Block B – Unter Arrest), Belgium (Gent-West) and Turkey (Avlu).

In the new instalment of the franchise, the story continues beyond the prison walls, where the world outside proves just as unforgiving as the one left behind. Katrina Milosevic, Nicole da Silva and Kate Box reprise their roles alongside a new ensemble cast.

The writers are Jessica Paine, Kodie Bedford, Alexandra Cullen, Hannah Samuel, Alix Beane, Romina Accurso, Nikki Tran and Chris Squadrito.

Wentworth: Beyond Bars is a Fremantle Australia production with investment from Foxtel and Screen Australia. It has been financed in association with VicScreen.

Greg Barnett, commissioning editor at 5, said: “Beyond Bars is intense and relentless in its twists and turns. Loyal Wentworth Prison fans and new viewers will be on the edge of their seats.”