Holden Sheppard’s acclaimed novel Invisible Boys is being adapted for television with a 10-part series to be shot in Geraldton.
Invisible Boys explores the challenges faced by a group of gay teens in the remote coastal town of Geraldton, Western Australia after one of them is outed on social media following an encounter with a married man.
As they form a tight-knit friendship, the boys find solace and support in one another, exploring their desires and identities in a world that often renders them invisible. The novel was awarded the 2019 WA Premier’s Prize for an Emerging Writer, the 2019 Kathleen Mitchell Award and the 2018 City of Fremantle TAG Hungerford Award.
The series will be created and directed by Logie Award-winning creator Nicholas Verso (Crazy Fun Park, Boys In The Trees, Itch), working alongside an impressive writing team including Sheppard, Enoch Mailangi (All My Friends Are Racist, Year Of), Walkley Award-winning writer Allan Clarke (The Dark Emu Story) and Artistic Director of Griffin Theatre, Declan Greene and is produced by Tania Chambers (How to Please a Woman, Kill Me Three Times).
Stan commissioned the series following a Stan and Screenwest joint development initiative, designed to foster local talent and spark the development of new series in WA. Banijay Rights will handle international distribution for the series.
Cailah Scobie, Stan Chief Content Officer, shared their excitement about the new series.
“Bound to captivate a diverse range of Australian audiences, the Stan Original Series Invisible Boys highlights our commitment to invest in local content that champions Australian voices and narratives. This unique drama has attracted the prestigious international partner Banijay Rights – signifying the global reach and relevance of Stan Original content. We are thankful for the ongoing support of Screen Australia, alongside our other key partners Screenwest, Lotterywest and the WA Regional Screen Fund and look forward to working with creator and director Nicholas Verso and producer Tania Chambers.” Scobie said.
Simon Cox, Executive Vice-President Content Acquisitions at Banijay Rights said the series would have world-wide appeal.
“Nick and Tania’s vision for this adaptation of Holden Sheppard’s acclaimed novel really sets apart this project as a unique and gripping coming-of-age story – told against a beautiful and often unseen backdrop of a Western Australian coastal town. We are delighted to be the international partner of this diverse series and to take this drama to audiences worldwide.” Cox said.
While Rikki Lea Bestall, Screenwest CEO, said the series, which will start shooting soon, was just one of many projects being made in WA at the moment.
“Screenwest is beyond excited to see local production company Feisty Dame secure a Stan Original Series based on a homegrown West Australian story! The WA screen sector is experiencing its busiest year to date with local creatives, crew and production companies making unprecedented levels of screen content, showcasing WA stories and locations to audiences around the world. Congratulations to Tania, Nick and Holden! We look forward to seeing Invisible Boys move into production in the Mid West in the near future.” Bestall said.
While WA has a long history of being a leader in children’s and young adult entertainment, this is the first time an LGBTIQA+ themed youth series will be made in Western Australia.
“As the first homegrown LGBTQIA+ teen/young adult series to be made in WA, Invisible Boys boldly navigates uncharted territory – sharing a gritty and authentic coming-of-age story with audiences. With the support of Stan, Banijay Rights, Screenwest and Lotterywest, we are thrilled to empower the creative team in delivering their unapologetically true-to-life vision. Invisible Boys will undoubtedly resonate with audiences in Australia and worldwide, amplifying the voices that deserve to be heard and celebrating the authentic and dynamic spirit of Australian storytelling.” said Grainne Brunsdon, Screen Australia Head of Content.
With shows like Young Royals and Heartstopper being lapped up by audiences around the world, the creative team will be hoping an Australian story will find the same kind of success.
“We want this series to resonate strongly with audiences in Australia and across the world. It has been great to have Stan, Banijay Rights and our financing partners supporting our creative vision for the Invisible Boys series.” said producer Tania Chambers.
“It’s been such a dream creating this series for Stan who have shown such a strong commitment to quality Australian and LGBTQIA+ storytelling. We’ve had a blast in the writers’ room, diving deeply into this world and expanding upon the characters and themes of the book with all its love, heartbreak, confusion, messiness, and joy. I can’t wait to be back on set in Western Australia, bringing the story to life with the wonderful creative team.” said Nicholas Verso, Producer/Writer/Director.
Source: Media Release
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