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Netflix to produce Clickbait thriller in Victoria

8 part series explores the ways in which our most dangerous impulses are fueled in an age of social media.

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Netflix has announced a new locally produced series, Clickbait, the first to be filmed in Victoria from NBCUniversal International Studios.

The 8 part thriller from Matchbox Pictures and Tony Ayres Productions (TAP) together with Heyday Television explores the ways in which our most dangerous and uncontrolled impulses are fueled in the age of social media and reveals the ever widening fractures we find between our virtual and real life personas.

Tony Ayres (The Slap, Glitch, Nowhere Boys) will serve as Creator, Showrunner, and Executive Producer. Christian White will serve as Co-Creator, Co-Producer, and Writer. Brad Anderson (The Sinner) will serve as Lead Director.

David Heyman (Once Upon a Time In Hollywood, Harry Potter, Gravity) will serve as a network executive producer through his UK based production company, Heyday Television. Tom Winchester (The Capture) will serve as Executive Producer for Heyday Television.

Tony Ayres, co-creator and showrunner, said: “Christian and I have been working with David Heyman, Tom Winchester and Rosie Alison at Heyday, as well as the good folk at Matchbox and NBCU for the last few years, and we’re all thrilled that we are able to partner with Netflix on a passion project which we hope will have real global reach and impact. We are equally delighted to produce this US show in Melbourne. It’s an opportunity to showcase the international level of Australian talent both behind and in front of the camera.”

Alastair McKinnon, Managing Director of Matchbox Pictures, said: “Tony Ayres is one of the most prolific, talented and successful showrunners in Australia and Clickbait is Tony at his best – a thrilling and ambitious series for a global audience for which Netflix is the perfect partner.”

Hon Paul Fletcher MP, Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, said, “The Morrison Government’s investment supports Australia as a filming destination of choice for big budget productions, providing the Australian local screen industry with a steady pipeline of work. Securing this production will bring more than $36 million of new international investment to our shores, engage around 540 cast, crew and extras, and use the services of around 290 local businesses.”

Hon Martin Foley MP, Victorian Minister for Creative Industries, said: “Clickbait is a major coup for Victoria. Clickbait demonstrates the ingenuity of Victorian creatives, who after many years of honing their talents, are in demand by Hollywood, and have created a production that has caught the eye of global powerhouse Netflix. The execution of Tony and Christian’s creative vision in their home state will inject millions of dollars into the Victorian economy, provide emerging screen practitioners with opportunities to build their skills and be seen by audiences the world over.”

Caroline Pitcher, CEO Film Victoria said: “Victoria has become the centre for high-end television reaching global audiences, and we are thrilled to raise the bar yet again with Clickbait, the Netflix Originals project to be produced in Victoria. Landing this project attests to the strength of our local screen industry and the ambitious projects of our local companies. We hope this is the first of many collaborations with Netflix.”

Channing Dungey, vice president of original series for Netflix, said: “We’re excited to work with the entire Clickbait team to create this new series in Australia and share it with audiences around the globe. With world-class production facilities and talent, the Aussie screen industry is thriving, and we congratulate and thank the Federal Government and Victorian State Government for investing in and supporting this production.”

Clickbait has been made possible through the Australian Federal Government’s Location Incentive program. This project has been supported by the Victorian State Government through Film Victoria’s Production Incentive Attraction Fund.

6 Responses

  1. That’s not the point that was raised – the press release artfully mentioned nothing about where the show is set – it will be an American location, American accents, American characters, American writers, producers, actors, and directors – and $5 million of Australian money. Why do they need it? Why not just fund it themselves via NBCU and Netflix? And mentioning “Tidelands” does not strengthen the case for Australians funding this kind of material. Who watched “Tidelands?” How well did it rate? We’ll never know I guess… Netflix can afford to pay full freight in Australia – if the show is so great, why don’t they?

    1. Hi, I’ve looked into this. The story is not set in Australia but it does not have (what we usually refer to as) Drama funding. As indicated it is Location Incentive funding which is offered by the govt to international film & TV projects to film down under (ie. Thor). It is also not a handout but an incentive. $35m annual investment is expected to bring in over $260 million per year in new foreign expenditure to the local economy. Thanks.

  2. Simply astonishing that so many media outlets this morning have reproduced the hype statement/press release without asking one basic question, “Where is “Click Bait” set?” Is it set in Melbourne? Is it an Australian series with Australian characters? Or is it another example of an American-owned, “Australian” company syphoning millions and millions of Australian tax dollars to further the careers of the public-money millionaires that run “Australian” companies like Matchbox? Why does Netflix need millions in Australian tax dollars? If they love the show so much, why not fund it entirely – as they do with so many other shows? Certainly we’ll hear spin statements about jobs created (how many of these are extras?) and the multiplier effect etc but the truth is that these shows get made because they can be financed (thanks to the Australian tax payer) – and San Francisco is my bet…

  3. >> Clickbait has been made possible through the Australian Federal Government’s Location Incentive program.

    Yes, all $4.9m of it. Lord knows how much the State Government is kicking in.

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