Brenden Abbott's criminal past immortalised in new series
Abbott is currently serving time in Casuarina Prison for crimes he committed more than three decades ago.
Based on Australian Outlaw — The True Story of Postcard Bandit Brenden Abbott by Derek Pedley, the as-yet-unnamed series, coming to Binge and starring George Mason as Abbott, will mark the second time the convicted robber's story has been told on the small screen, following a 2003 TV movie starring Tom Long.
'We're thrilled to have cameras now rolling in WA where the story started nearly 40 years ago,' Lana Greenhalgh, executive producer and director of scripted originals Foxtel Group, said.
Abbott became a household name in the 1980s after committing a string of bank robberies and successfully evading police.
He is reported to have stolen and hidden millions of dollars, and was dubbed the Postcard Bandit by police, due to postcards he sent law enforcement while on the run. Involved in the production are, back: Rikki Lea Bestall, CEO Screenwest, John Driscoll, board chair Screenwest, Hamish Lewis, head of scripted Warner Bros. International Television Production Australia, Lana Greenhalgh director of scripted originals Foxtel Group; front: Bonnie Moir, director, Ben Young, director and executive producer. Credit: Liang Xu
Abbott was eventually arrested, convicted and successfully escaped custody twice.
With the exception of inmates convicted of murder, Abbott is currently the longest serving prisoner in Australia and will be eligible for parole in 2026.
The production, a scripted series of six one-hour episodes, is shooting in and around Fremantle, with cameras spotted filming around the periphery of the old Fremantle Prison on Monday.
The series, described as a 'propulsive, high-octane, 1980/90s crime drama' sports a stellar lead cast, with Robyn Malcolm (The Survivors), Ashleigh Cummings (Citadel), and Keiynan Lonsdale (Swift Street) joining Mason in pivotal roles.
The ensemble cast includes David Howell (Narrow Road to the Deep North), Mia Artemis (Sweet Tooth), Christian Byers (Bump), Roxie Mohebbi (He Had It Coming), Oscar Redding (The Twelve), Anthony Hayes (Mystery Road) and Jayden Popik (Mystery Road). Brenden Abbott. Credit: Unknown / Supplied by Subject
According to Screenwest, the series is expected to attract a spend of more than $7 million into the WA economy, and the production will employ at least 80 West Australian crew and 80 WA cast with speaking roles, as well as 400 extras.
'The production shows the growing momentum in our screen industry and reinforces our growing reputation as a destination for high-quality screen production,' Screenwest chief executive Rikki Lea Bestall said.
Ben Young (Hounds of Love, The Twelve) and Bonnie Moir (Exposure, Love Me,) are directing, with Young also serving as executive producer.
Hamish Lewis, head of scripted at WBITVP Australia said: 'We're pumped to be back in Western Australia working with Foxtel and Screenwest again.
'This is a truly incredible story, too good not to be told.
'It's the story of extreme resilience, determination and family — with a wild backdrop of 80s and 90s Australia.'
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