Seminal Australian novel Picnic At Hanging Rock is being made into a new TV drama for Foxtel.
The 1967 novel by Joan Lindsay, which follows the disappearance of three schoolgirls and their governess on Valentine’s Day in 1900, has already had the big-screen treatment in Peter Weir’s 1975 film, which featured Jacki Weaver and Wolf Creek star John Jarratt.
This new TV adaptation is already in pre-production with Tracks and A Few Best Men producer Antonia Barnard, and writers Beatrix Christian (Jindabyne) and Alice Addison (Devil’s Playground) signed on.
FremantleMedia Australia is making six one-hour episodes, according to Foxtel chief executive officer Peter Tonagh, who announced the new drama at the Astra conference in Sydney on Tuesday. The adaptation follows a successful stage production which premiered at Malthouse theatre in Melbourne in February.
“It is testament to the originality of author Joan Lindsay that her novel, charting the chilling mystery of the inexplicable disappearance of the three schoolgirls and their teacher at Hanging Rock and the secrets this event lays bare in its wake, still feels just as fresh, unsettling and relevant today,” FremantleMedia Australia director of drama Jo Porter said.
“Bea Christian and Alice Addison’s incredible scripts are both brilliant renderings of this mystery and provocative explorations of the underlying themes of gender, control, identity and burgeoning sexuality.”
FremantleMedia Australia has secured production investment from Screen Australia for the show, which will premiere on Foxtel’s Showcase channel in 2017.
Foxtel also announced a new flexible pricing model for Foxtel Play, its streaming service available on devices. The model features five different pricing tiers, including two options for drama, one for lifestyle, one for documentary and one for kids. The aim is to make the service more competitive with other subscription video on demand services such as Netflix and Stan.
