L-R: Patrick Brammall, Maxine Peake, Brendan Cowell, Daniel Henshall and Zahra Newman.
Filming is underway in Victoria for The Dispatcher. Supported by VicScreen, the new series, being produced by 60Forty Films, will create 730 jobs and inject over $45 million into the state economy.
Award-winning actor Patrick Brammall (Colin from Accounts, Evil) is leading the six-part series adaptation by acclaimed Victorian writer and executive producer Kris Mrksa (Requiem, No Escape, The Murders at White House Farm), based on award-winning author Ryan David Jahn's novel of the same name. Emmy® award-nominated executive producer Christian Schwochow (The Crown, Bad Banks, Munich - The Edge of War) directs.
The cast also includes BAFTA Award nominee Maxine Peake (Say Nothing, Black Mirror), Brendan Cowell (Dune: Prophecy, Plum), Daniel Henshall (Mickey 17, How to Make Gravy), Jessica Wren (Mr. Inbetween, Return to Devil's Playground), Zahra Newman (Thirteen Lives, Addition) and newcomer Chloe Geisker.
Police detective Ian Hunt's (Brammall) life fell apart ten years ago when his young daughter, Maggie, disappeared without a trace. Now working as a police dispatcher, the only thing that has kept him going is his implacable refusal to accept that she might be gone forever. When he receives a distress call from a young girl he is certain is Maggie, he will stop at nothing to find her and reunite his broken family, whatever the cost.
The series is executive produced by Emmy® award winners Jamie Laurenson and Hakan Kousetta from 60Forty Films (Slow Horses, Hijack), with executive producers Schwochow, Mrksa and Joanna Werner at Werner Film Productions, who will be providing local production services. They are joined by producer Katharina Haase, co-producer Stuart Menzies and line producer Amanda Crittenden.
The Dispatcher will create 730 job opportunities for Victorian screen industry workers, including 400 crew, 330 cast and extras and 15 skills development opportunities for emerging screen creatives and workers.
With the majority of filming to occur in regional Victorian locations, the state's dramatic scenery will be on display for a global audience. The production will also engage 220 local businesses and inject over $45 million directly into the Victorian economy with an estimated $5 million being spent in regional Victorian communities. Filming will take place at Docklands Studios Melbourne and on location in and around Warrnambool, Mornington Peninsula and the Yarra Valley.
The Dispatcher adds another premium project to Victoria's growing pipeline of screen productions. Also, currently filming are ABC children's series Knee High Spies and Liam Neeson action feature The Mongoose. Recent productions that have filmed in the state include drama series Love Divided By Eleven (Stan), The Family Next Door (ABC) and horror film Saccharine.
The project was supported by the Victorian Government through VicScreen's Victorian Screen Incentive and the Australian Government through the Location Offset administered by Screen Australia.
Minister for Creative Industries, Colin Brooks said, "The Dispatcher adds to our year-round pipeline of local and international blockbuster screen projects, that keeps our screen industry pumping and provides an economic boost to regional communities and the state more broadly. Productions like these create jobs and engage local businesses both within and outside of the screen industry, as well as showcasing our talented crew, screen experts and incredible landscapes for the whole world to see and experience."
VicScreen CEO Caroline Pitcher said, "Victoria's talent, diverse locations and premium facilities continue to attract international investment to our state, generating jobs and skills development opportunities for Victorian screen workers and businesses. Global audiences are in for a white-knuckle ride with The Dispatcher."
Executive Producer, Hakan Kousetta said, "The State of Victoria afforded us an abundance of opportunities for making a series of this scale possible. Fantastic facilities, competitive incentives, incredible locations and first-class crew made filming here a really easy choice. We're genuinely excited to be making this compelling Australian set show for international audiences to enjoy and have it serve as a showcase for what is possible to achieve in Victoria."
Learn more about VicScreen's Screen Incentives.
