Foxtel makes gravy at its 2024 upfront
This is part of Mumbrella’s coverage of the 2024 upfront season. Click here to see other articles in the series.
Foxtel Media’s upfront unveiled a slew of returning and new entertainment content for customers to enjoy in 2024.
The showcase covered a mix of homegrown and international productions. Binge will be home to a number of adaptations, including Liane Moriarty’s The Last Anniversary (directed by John Polson and produced by Blossom Films and Made Up Stories) and Mix Tape (a four-part miniseries adapting Jane Sanderson’s celebrated novel).
“The Foxtel Group has a long history of bringing critically-acclaimed Australian stories to the screen and we remain a committed champion for local, ground-breaking stories and voices in all genres,” said Amanda Laing, chief content and commercial officer at Foxtel Group and managing director at Binge.
“Many of these stories have been watched by millions globally, having been sold and screened in a number of international markets following their premiere on Binge and Foxtel.”
For Laing, the entertainment provider’s ability to partner with leading producers and studios is at what drives the success of Foxtel and its Binge platform.
“We continue to be the partner of choice for the world’s biggest studios and content producers, providing an unmatched content slate from the largest and most diverse pipeline of partners globally.”
“This ensures that our Binge and Foxtel customers will continue to have access to the very best TV shows and movies from Australia and around the world, catering for every taste and every viewer.”
Other series set to make their way to Australian screens includes: The Twelve’s season 2 (starring New Zealand’s Sam Neill), original reality series Billion Dollar Playground, True Detective: Night Country (starring Oscar-winning actress Jodie Foster), Ryan Murphy’s Feud: Capote vs The Swans (starring Demi Moore, Australia’s Naomi Watts and Molly Ringwald), The Regime (helmed by Golden Globe and Oscar-winner Kate Winslet), and many more.
Moreover, the upfront revealed that Binge’s first original feature film is coming, with production beginning on the Gold Coast, Queensland.
Titled ‘How to Make Gravy’, the film translates Paul Kelly’s 1996 hit into a cinematic marvel that follows an inmate writing a letter to his family while they are in the midst of preparing for Christmas in his absence.
Australian musician Meg Washington adapted the song for film alongside Nick Waterman (who is also attached to the project as its director).
Mystery Road: Origin’s Daniel Henshall and Hugo Weaving will lead the film’s cast, including Titans’ Brenton Thwaites, Damon Herriman (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), The Twelve’s Kate Mulvaney, Agathe Rouselle (Titane) and more faces to be announced at a later date.
“It’s a great privilege to bring Paul Kelly’s iconic song to the screen,” said Alison Hurbert-Burns, commissioning and content, Foxtel Group and executive director, Binge.
“I’ve listened to the song for decades, often on my own Christmas road trip, conjuring up the characters, wondering if Stella made her flight and if the brothers made it down from Queensland. Come 2024, at last we’ll know!”
“And with an all-star cast, and such talented creatives in Nick and Meg and our production partners at Warner Bros, we can’t wait to share it with Australia, in what we hope will become a beloved addition to Gravy Day, for many years to come.”
Outside of films and scripted television, the upfront showed love to lifestyle and sporting programs.
Gogglebox Australia (and its celebrity counterpart), Selling Houses Australia, and the Great Australian Bake Off will all be returning.
After sharing how proud she is of Foxtel’s LifeStyle Originals, Wendy Moore, group general manager – LifeStyle, had this to say: “These much-loved franchises have an incredible fan base and continue to deliver high quality entertainment. We are excited to share this returning content in 2024 for subscribers to enjoy.”
Australian Women’s and Men’s home international cricket will dominate the beginning of 2024 via Foxtel and Kayo Sports. The NBL, WNBL, a curated set of NBA games, NRL, Golf, Supercars, Main Event Boxing/UFC and more will be available to watch.
“Foxtel Group is the home of sport in Australia, ” said Rebecca McCloy, executive director – commercial sport, Foxtel Group.
“We’ve locked down deals for AFL and Cricket until 2031. And importantly, we have the biggest offering. Every minute of every AFL game throughout the season plus the finals up to the Grand Final, plus the most extensive cricket offering available to our more than three million sports subscribers.”
“Add to those new deals with ESPN, Matchroom, and a five-year contract with UFC, which has the youngest fan base of any professional sport in the world, and our offering is unmatched.”
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Matthew is the editorial assistant at Mumbrella. He previously worked for a marketing agency that focused on managed service providers and IT.
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