Two Hands, Lawyer X dramas in development.

A TV adaptation of Two Hands from Gregor Jordan, plus new dramas on Lawyer X and a haunting in Surry Hills are amongst new TV drama projects funded by Screen Australia.

Screen Australia’s Head of Development Nerida Moore said, “Screen Australia is really proud to be supporting this impressive mix of projects. This includes fresh genre-bending comedies Home and Our Haunt, and beautiful romantic drama 10 Moments that will bring together 10 chapters from a great team of exciting creative voices. It’s also wonderful to support more children’s content with Big Serious Studios’ Goo Zoo set to invite children into the world of microbiology as part of the company’s aims to deliver more STEM content for kids.”

In the 2020/21 financial year Screen Australia received 397 Story Development applications across the Premium and Generate Funds, providing funds to a total of 83 projects.

TV projects as follows:

Detective Cooper
Goalpost Television and Quizzical
Genre Crime, Mystery
Writers James McNamara, Amy Jephta
Story Editor Malla Nunn
Producers Kylie du Fresne, Nimrod Geva, Rosemary Blight
Synopsis Adapted from Malla Nunn’s novels – a detective with a dangerous secret, a Zulu constable linked to the resistance, and a German surgeon tortured by loss unite to defy an all powerful police force and solve murders in Apartheid South Africa.

Laugh Of Lakshmi
Felix Media Pty Ltd
Genre Drama, Musical
Director S. Shakthidharan
Writer S. Shakthidharan
Producer John Maynard
Executive Producer Bridget Ikin
Synopsis Separated during Sri Lanka’s civil war, a mother and son are re-united in modern day Sri Lanka.

Lawyer X
Fremantle Australia Pty Ltd
Genre Drama
Writer Sarah Walker
Producer Carly Heaton
Executive Producer Chris Oliver-Taylor
Synopsis A Shakespearean epic of power and betrayal, Lawyer X is about a woman who wanted everyone to remember her name…and they will.

Our Haunt
Daniel Ashley Reisinger
Genre Comedy, Drama, Horror, Mystery
Directors Daniel Reisinger, Ben Howling
Writers Daniel Reisinger, Yolanda Ramke, Ben Howling, Romina Accurso
Producer Daniel Reisinger
Synopsis When a hapless couple buy an old Surry Hills terrace to do-it-up, they find this haunted house wants to do them in. Unable to afford to leave, they’re forced to become bumbling investigators of the previous occupants’ murders (all while choosing the perfect wallpaper).

Song Of The Sun God
Dragonet Films Pty Ltd (and Synchronicity Films UK)
Genre Thriller, Family saga
Writer Olivia Hetreed
Producers/Exec Producers Karen Radzyner, Claire Mundell
Executive Producers Olivia Hetreed, Shankari Chandran
Story Consultant Shankari Chandran
Story Producer Ruth Underwood
Synopsis A gripping contemporary emotional thriller based on the breathtaking novel set across Australia, Britain and Sri Lanka, that plunges us into the loves, lies and misdemeanours of the close-knit Rajan family, whose story is entangled in Sri Lanka’s dangerous political history. It’s set against the fallout today of decades of conflict between the Tamil and Sinhalese communities, derived in no small part from the island’s colonial history. For ex-pat Leela, Sri Lanka’s controversial 2019 elections, an ocean away from her home, will create unimaginable impact on her quest to find her missing aunt.

The Hive
Magpie Pictures Pty Ltd
Genre Drama, Mystery
Writer Angela Betzien
Script Producer Blake Ayshford
Producer Lois Randall
Co-Producer Rebecca Ingram
Story Consultant Rhoda Roberts
Synopsis Adapted from the novel The World Without Us by Mireille Juchau – when human remains are discovered in a burned-out van on land that once belonged to a utopian community, a mother and daughter must confront the secrets that have silenced them.

Two Hands (Working Title)
Macgowan Films Pty Ltd and Fremantle Australia
Genre Comedy, Drama, Crime
Director Gregor Jordan
Writers Gregor Jordan, Melissa Bubnic, Gretel Vella, Sarah Bassiuoni, Greg Haddrick, Meyne Wyatt
Producers Marian Macgowan, Justin Davies
Executive Producers Tim White, Chris Oliver-Taylor
Synopsis Television adaptation of the hit Australian film Two Hands.