Clerkenwell Films, BBC Studios Oz on board surfing thriller Breakers for Netflix

Netflix has commissioned an Australian surfing thriller in partnership with BBC Studios-owned Clerkenwell Films (Baby Reindeer) in the UK and BBC Studios Productions Australia.

Antony Starr in Prime Video’s The Boys

Written by Pete Jackson (The Death of Bunny Munro, Somewhere Boy), Breakers is set in Perth and revolves around a surfing community and two backpackers that fall into its thrall.

Breakers features New Zealand actor Antony Starr (The Boys, Outrageous Fortune) with further cast announcements to follow. The lead director is Mary Nighy (Industry) and Ng ChoonPing (What It Feels Like for a Girl), with executive producers Gavin O’Grady (Somewhere Boy), Petra Fried (Baby Reindeer), Wim De Greef (Baby Reindeer) and Jackson.

The project, which is in pre-production, is the first Netflix series to shoot in Western Australia and has been supported by Screenwest and the regional government through the Western Australian Production Attraction Incentive.

The series is expected to inject over A$19m (US$13.4m) into the Western Australian economy and employ over 100 local cast and crew. The shoot is anticipated to wrap in June.

Netflix Australia & New Zealand will be announcing further commissions and content strategies for the year ahead in early February.

“Breakers provides a fantastic opportunity for Western Australian heads of department, crew and cast to work on a prestige series and continue developing their careers right here in our south-west. We look forward to seeing the series brought to life over the coming months,” said Screenwest chief Rikki Lea Bestall.