Renewed: Secret City

Press Release:

Foxtel and Matchbox Pictures today announced production of the second series of the Award-winning drama series Secret City. Secret City: Under the Eagle returns for its second season to be shot on location in the national capital, Canberra and Sydney from this week.

Produced by Matchbox Pictures, Secret City: Under the Eagle, a six part high stakes political thriller, is set in a world of secrets, lies, assassination and betrayal with a stellar cast line-up including two time Academy-Award nominee Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom, Silver Linings Playbook) who once again takes up the role of Labor powerbroker Catriona Bailey and Anna Torv (Fringe, Mindhunter) who won the 2017 Logie Award for ‘Most Outstanding Actress’ for her role as political journalist Harriet Dunkley.

Also returning are Sacha Horler (The Dressmaker, The Kettering Incident) as Sky channel presenter Ludie Sypek, Marcus Graham (Janet King, Crownies) as Bailey’s Chief of Staff Andrew “Griff” Griffiths and Justin Smith (Devil’s Playground, Deadline Gallipoli) as ASD Director William Vaughn.

New cast includes Logie and AACTA award-winning actress Danielle Cormack (Wentworth, Rake, Underbelly Razor) as SA Independent MP Karen Koutoufides and Logie Award-winning actor Rob Collins (The Wrong Girl, Cleverman) as Major Joseph Sullivan.

Further cast will be announced soon.

Secret City: Under the Eagle picks up with Harriet Dunkley (Torv), not long out of prison and who is unwittingly ensnared in a military and political cover-up with Catriona Bailey’s (Weaver) fingerprints all over it. Harriet’s search for the truth leads her back into Canberra’s corridors of power, this time working for a maverick Independent MP (Cormack). What she unearths is a military program so secret not even the Prime Minister knows about. Who is really running the country?

Foxtel Executive Director of Television Brian Walsh said: “Foxtel is delighted to announce this commission to join our drama roster for 2018. It is terrific to see this exciting series return for a second season, and wonderful to have our extraordinary leads Anna Torv and Jacki Weaver back on a Foxtel Original Series. We are very proud of the first season which enjoyed both critical and audience acclaim worldwide. This new story is absolutely captivating, with twists and turns that will keep audiences both guessing and riveted.”

Matchbox Pictures’ Penny Chapman said: “One day as we were working on ideas for the second series of Secret City, we watched President Dwight Eisenhower’s 1961 farewell address. His warning to the world, now even more relevant than ever, gave us the unsettling story we were looking for.”

Secret City: Under the Eagle will be directed by Tony Krawitz (The Kettering Incident, Devil’s Playground) and Daniel Nettheim (Doctor Who, Broadchurch).

Stephen Corvini (Safe Harbour, Hyde and Seek) will produce the series. Executive Producers are Foxtel’s Head of Drama Penny Win and Drama development executive Carly Heaton, Penny Chapman from Matchbox Pictures and the series showrunner Matt Cameron.

Secret City: Under the Eagle has been written by Matt Cameron (writer/co-producer/creator- Sunshine, writer/producer/creator- Jack Irish) and Belinda Chayko (showrunner/writer- Safe Harbour, story producer/writer- Barracuda) who both wrote for the first series and playwright Angela Betzien (Eggs, The Hanging) and Elise McCredie (Sunshine, Nowhere Boys).

The first series of Secret City was inspired by the best-selling novels The Marmalade Files and The Mandarin Code, written by political journalists Chris Uhlmann and Steve Lewis who join this series as story consultants.

Secret City: Under the Eagle is a Matchbox Pictures production for Foxtel, supported by Create NSW and will screen on Foxtel’s super drama channel, showcase. NBCUniversal International Distribution will distribute the series worldwide.