Apple TV buys Australian crime drama Dustfall as int’l acquisitions ramp up

Dustfall is produced by Soapbox Pictures and Moonriver TV for Australia’s ABC

Apple TV has picked up the streaming rights to six-part Australian crime drama Dustfall starring Anna Torv (The Last of Us, Mindhunter).

The project, which is produced by Soapbox Pictures and Moonriver Television for Australian broadcaster ABC in association with BBC and ZDF, will launch globally on the streamer in 2027, excluding Australia, the UK and Germany. The pick-up comes ahead of the show’s launch on ABC on October 11.

Based on Vikki Petraitis’ novel The Unbelieved, the series follows a detective whose investigation into a sexual assault takes a darker turn when a key suspect is found dead.

Dianne Taylor (After the Party) penned the series, which was filmed on Australia’s Gold Coast, with Emma Freeman (The Newsreader) directing.

In addition to Torv, the show stars Juliet Stevenson, Peter Fenton, Bert LaBonté, Zoe Phillips, Kate Box, Lila McGuire, Ling Cooper Tang, Gemma Chua-Tran, Alice Ansara and Jay Ryan. France’s Federation International handles international distribution.

Apple TV has not typically been a major acquirer of third-party TV series, instead opting to solely carry its own originals. However, there are signals that this strategy is beginning to shift following its acquisition of BBC comedy Small Prophets over the summer, and now this latest deal for Dustfall.