Paramount+ Commissions Australian Mystery Drama Series ‘Playing Gracie Darling’ – Global Bulletin
GRACIE PERIOD
Streaming service, Paramount+ has commissioned “Playing Gracie Darling,” a mystery drama series about the aftermath of a girl’s sudden disappearance. The six-part show is created and written by Miranda Nation (“Undertow”), directed by Jonathan Brough (“Rosehaven,” “The End”) and produced by Curio Pictures.
When Joni was 14, her best friend Gracie Darling disappeared during a séance. Some 27 years on, the local kids in a small town get their kicks with a game of ‘Playing Gracie Darling’ – but the seemingly innocent game turns sinister when another girl disappears. Joni, by then a child psychologist, returns to the town and partners with a police sergeant Jay to uncover the truth, while Gracie’s sister Ruth faces a mother’s worst nightmare when her own daughter vanishes under hauntingly similar circumstances.
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Morgana O’Reilly (“The White Lotus” S3, “Friends Like Her”) plays Joni. Other cast includes Rudi Dharmalingam (“Wakefield,” “The Lazarus Project”) playing Jay, and Celia Pacquola (“Rosehaven,” “Love Me”), Annie Maynard (“Upper Middle Bogan,” “Colin From Accounts”) and Anne Tenney (“The Castle,” “A Country Practice”).
The show is executive produced by Curio’s Jo Porter and Rachel Gardner, Sophia Mogford for Paramount+ and Nation. Laura Nagy is on board as associate producer and additional scripts are written by Anya Beyersdorf (“FAKE”). Sony Pictures Television is distributing the series internationally.
It has major production investment from federal body Screen Australia. It is additionally financed and supported by location attraction and finance agency Screen NSW through its Made in NSW fund and post, digital and visual effects support.
“Miranda Nation has expertly blended the supernatural, coming of age and crime thriller genres in ‘Playing Gracie Darling’ [which] is sure to be an engrossing and enthralling drama,” said Kyas Hepworth, head of Screen NSW. “I’m excited to welcome this project to New South Wales, with the series creating many fulltime jobs for local cast and crew in the state when it begins shooting in Sydney and regional areas.”
NARRATIVE CONTENT
Screen Australia has hired Louise Gough as its new director of narrative content. She previously served as head of development at Screen Australia from 2021 to 2023, and will start her new role from Sept. 30. Gough will report directly to chief operating officer Grainne Brunsdon. With a 30-year career spanning broadcast, production, funding bodies, and theatre environments, Gough was recently the executive producer for Samantha Strauss’ Picking Scabs, a collaborative venture with See-Saw Films.
CINEMA CELEBRATIONS
The Multiplex Association of India and multiple cinema operators have designated Friday as the third National Cinema Day, a day of promotional activities around the theatrical experience. Among the benefits, ticket prices are reduced to INR99 ($1.18). Organizers report that some 4,000 cinemas will take part including the PVR Inox, Cinepolis, Miraj, Citypride, Asian, Mukta A2, Movie Time, Wave, Moviemax, M2k and Delite chains.
Films expected to be on release that day include “Transformers One,” “Never Let Go,” “Yudhra,” “Stree 2,” “Tumbbad,” “Veer Zaara,” “Kahan Shuru Kahan Khatam” and “The Buckingham Murders.”
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