Deadset Pictures has secured the screen rights to Yeah the Boys, the acclaimed new novel by award-winning Western Australian author Holden Sheppard, and is developing it as a premium international television drama with Western Australia at its centre.
Set across contemporary Perth, Northbridge, Geraldton and the world of WA football, Yeah the Boys follows star full-forward Kade “Hammer” Hammersmith, whose tightly controlled life begins to collapse when he publicly attacks Pride Round while hiding the truth about his own sexuality. When blackmail threats pull him back towards Zeke and Charlie, the estranged schoolmates who know what he has spent years trying to bury, the story becomes a funny, raw and emotionally charged drama about gay men, masculinity, friendship, football culture and the cost of staying hidden too long.
Sheppard’s novel was released to wide acclaim in late April. Deadset Pictures is developing the series for an international audience, with a clear ambition to place Western Australia at the heart of the production, including its locations, crew base, creative talent, football culture, gay community and sense of place.
The series is being developed as a Western Australian production in the fullest sense: shot across Perth and regional WA, built with local crew and suppliers, and powered by the creative talent already working in the state.
Deadset Pictures co-founder Steve Pennells said the project was a chance to put a contemporary Western Australian story on screen with the scale, specificity and confidence it deserves.
“Holden has written the kind of book that demands to be seen,” Pennells said. “It’s funny, filthy, wounded, political and completely specific. Perth is not a backdrop here. Northbridge is not a backdrop. Football is not a backdrop. Sex is not a backdrop. They’re all part of how these men survive, lie, hurt each other and try to become honest.
“This is a story that could only come out of Western Australia. The heat, the distance, the footy culture, the country-town history, the gay spaces, the pressure of being seen and not seen — all of that is baked into the book.
“The exciting thing now is the chance to build a series that uses WA talent, WA locations and WA creative energy to tell it properly.”
Deadset Pictures co-founder Dan Bennett said he was thrilled to help bring Sheppard’s novel to screen.
“What Holden has achieved with this book is profound and life-changing for many,” Bennett said.
“Deadset Pictures is deeply honoured to be involved, hand-in-hand, with Holden. LGBTQIA+ relationships are having a moment in mainstream culture in a way they never have before. This story is not only timely but also desperately, deeply important.
“The chance to shoot and work in Perth is the icing on the cake — showcasing the majesty of the environment, culture and uniqueness that is too often underrepresented on screen.”
Sheppard grew up in Geraldton before heading to university in Perth. His earlier novel Invisible Boys, which explores the teenage years of the three characters, was adapted for television as a Stan Original Series. That project was produced by Tania Chambers and writer-director Nicholas Verso, with Joseph Zada, Aydan Calafiore and Zach Blampied portraying the lead characters.
For the next chapter of the story, a new team is continuing the narrative. Holden Sheppard will serve as an Executive Producer on the new production.
“I am so stoked to be working with Deadset Pictures on this project,” Sheppard said.
“I was absolutely blown away by Steve and Dan’s vision for Yeah the Boys, and I knew immediately my book was in the right hands to be adapted authentically in this cultural moment.
“I am so grateful that the characters of Zeke, Charlie and Hammer have received so much love from Australian audiences, and I hope they will be as excited as I am to see this chapter of their lives on screen.
“It has always been important to me that screen adaptations of my books are filmed locally in WA, using our talent and locations, and I am so pleased that Deadset Pictures already shared that vision.
“WA’s urban and gay spaces will be showcased in a fresh and authentic way, and I am excited to see it,” Sheppard said.
For Deadset Pictures, the ambition is to put Perth on screen with the scale and confidence usually reserved for larger international cities. The producers say Yeah the Boys offers more than scenery, capturing Northbridge at night, football grounds under lights, Geraldton heat, suburban secrecy, and the pressures of life in a close-knit city.
A production of this scale would also bring significant screen investment into Western Australia, supporting local crews, cast, suppliers, accommodation, hospitality, transport and post-production services.
Announcing the development of the adaptation, the company said it was an opportunity to show international audiences a side of Perth that is rarely seen.
“Not the postcard. Not the empty beach. A contemporary city shaped by humour, danger, class, friendship, loyalty and a football culture that influences how men perform and hide.”
