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Star cast joins Devil’s Playground

Simon Burke, Don Hany, Toni Collette, John Noble & Jack Thompson join Foxtel's new miniseries.

2013-06-04_2215Foxtel has announced an all-star cast for its next miniseries, the psychological thriller Devil’s Playground.

The Matchbox Pictures miniseries, as first revealed by TV Tonight, takes place 35 years after the film of the same name by Fred Schepisi.

Simon Burke reprises his role as Tom Allen (pictured), now a respected psychiatrist and secular confessor to the Catholic clergy, who becomes entangled in political and theological intrigue.

He will be joined by Don Hany, John Noble, Toni Collette, Andrew McFarlane, Anna Lise Phillips, Leon Ford, Matt Levett along with Max Cullen and Jack Thompson.

Devil’s Playground is a psychological thriller set in the churches, schools and upper echelons of power in The Australian Catholic Church during the 1980s.

The series is produced by Penny Chapman, Helen Bowden and Blake Ayshford for Matchbox Picture.

Tony Ayres, Simon Burke and Penny Win are the Executive Producers. Rachel Ward  and Tony Krawitz  are the directors and writers are Blake Ayshford, Cate Shortland, Alice Addison and Tommy Murphy.

Brian Walsh Foxtel’s Executive Director of Television said, “Foxtel is committed to providing a diverse and unique Australian drama slate, so we are thrilled to be working with the team at Matchbox Pictures on this exciting new project. With sharp scripts, a compelling story, stylish production and a high calibre cast, we look forward giving our audiences another distinctive Australian drama production that only Foxtel can deliver.”

Penny Chapman, Matchbox Pictures said, “We are delighted to be making this series with Foxtel, inspired by Fred’s magnificent film. While it is the story of a Church in different times, it will embrace both the beautiful and the troubled soul of this powerful institution. We’re thrilled Simon Burke will play the grown up Tom Allen. Blake, Cate, Tommy and Alice have written a profoundly affecting psychological thriller and we’re very much looking forward to putting it on the screen.”

Principal photography has begun in Sydney with international rights being handled by NBC Universal.

One Response

  1. Very excited for this one. The casting announcements only make me more so.

    Great to see Cate Shortland involved in writing for television. I wonder how she has found the experience.

    Blake Ayshford is very talented and I’m sure he’ll deliver some brilliant with all these stars!

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