/News 23.09.21

PRODUCTION ON AMC STUDIOS AND SEE SAW SERIES FIREBITE BEGINS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Starring Yael Stone, Rob Collins, Callan Mulvey And Shantae Barnes-Cowan with South Australia’s stunning desert landscapes and unique underground locations as the backdrop

South Australia will once again be in the international spotlight in new AMC series Firebite, which has commenced production in the state with Yael Stone (Orange is the New Black), Rob Collins (Cleverman, Extraction) and Callan Mulvey (Avengers: End Game) in leading roles. The series will also introduce First Nations Australian star Shantae Barnes-Cowan.

A co-production between AMC Studios and See-Saw Films, Firebite is a high-octane spin on the vampire genre and fantasy series that follows two First Nations Australian hunters, Tyson (Collins) and Shanika (Barnes-Cowan), on their quest to battle the last colony of vampires in the middle of the South Australian desert.

Set in a remote desert mining town, a hive for the last vampire stronghold shipped from Britain to Australia in 1788 by the colonial superpower to eradicate the Indigenous populations, Firebite is currently shooting in Coober Pedy in the South Australian Outback, famous for its unique underground opal mining caves. 

The series is also shooting in and around Adelaide, including at the South Australian Film Corporation’s Adelaide Studios production facilities.

The highly original series is created and written by celebrated First Nations Australian director, writer and producer Warwick Thornton (Samson and Delilah, Sweet Country), who also directs along with Brendan Fletcher (Mad Bastards) and Tony Krawitz (The Tall Man, Dead Europe)

Firebite cast (L-R) Rob Collins, Yael Stone, Callan Mulvey and Shantae Barnes-Cowan. Photo credit Alex Vaughan

“Our only rule was to find great people, no matter where they came from. We have actors who’ve worked on big Hollywood blockbusters, and others that are flying in from remote Aboriginal communities who light up the screen with natural presence. To us, they are all movie stars.”

– Thornton and Fletcher

Kristin Jones is overseeing the series for AMC Networks. Executive Producers for See-Saw Films are Emile Sherman and Iain Canning, alongside Rachel Gardner, Thornton and Fletcher. See-Saw’s Simon Gillis serves as co-executive producer, with Kodie Bedford as co-executive producer, Libby Sharpe as co-producer and Billy Bowring as associate producer.

South Australian producer Paul Ranford (Stateless, True History of the Kelly Gang) is producing the series alongside First Nations filmmaker Dena Curtis (Elements, Grace Beside Me), who is co-producing. The writing team include Kodie Bedford and newcomers Devi Telfer and Josh Sambono.

The series is comprised of eight, one-hour episodes and is set to debut on premium US streaming platform AMC+ later this year.

Feature image: Painted Desert, Coober Pedy, South Australia