2024 Australian television series
Boy Swallows Universe Promotional poster
Genre Based on Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton Written by Directed by Starring Composers Johnny Klimek Gabriel Mounsey[1] Country of origin Australia Original language No. of episodes7[2] Executive producers Production location Brisbane Cinematography Shelley Farthing-Dawe (eps. 1-5) Mark Wareham (eps. 6 & 7) Editors Jamie Pearson (eps. 1 & 2) Mark Perry (eps. 3-5) Marcus D'Arcy (eps. 6 & 7) Running time 49–77 minutes Production companies Network Netflix Release 11 January 2024 (2024-01-11 )
Boy Swallows Universe is an Australian coming of age television limited series for Netflix based on the semi-autobiographical novel of the same name by Trent Dalton . Produced by Andrew Mason and Troy Lum and written by John Collee , the story revolves around Eli Bell, a working-class youth who enters Brisbane's underworld to save his mother from danger.[3]
Cast
Felix Cameron as Eli Bell (age 13)[4]
Zac Burgess as Eli Bell (age 17)
Auden Ryan as Eli Bell (age 6)
Lee Tiger Halley as August "Gus" Bell, Eli's brother
Jake Cockburn as August "Gus" Bell (age 7)
Travis Fimmel as Lyle Orlik, Gus and Eli's stepfather
Simon Baker as Robert Bell, Gus and Eli's father
Phoebe Tonkin as Frances Bell, Gus and Eli's mother
Bryan Brown as Slim Halliday, Gus and Eli's babysitter
Anthony LaPaglia as Tytus Broz, boss and drug dealer
Sophie Wilde as Caitlyn Spies, newspaper journalist
Toby Schmitz as Detective Tim Cotton, corrupt police officer
Christopher James Baker as Ivan Kroll, standover man/drug dealer
Deborah Mailman as Poppy Birkbeck, guidance counsellor
Adam Briggs as Alex Bermuda, Eli's pen pal bikie in prison
HaiHa Le as Bich Dang, restaurant owner, drug importer and supplier
Zachary Wan as Darren Dang, Bich Dang's son
Ben O'Toole as Teddy Callis, Lyle's former best friend
Emily Eskell as PC Daley, police officer
Michael Denkha as George Masoumi, Slim's friend
Eloise Rothfield as Shelly Huffman, school student (age 13)
Millie Donaldson as Shelly Huffman (age 17)
Matthew Knight as a prison guard, Boggo Road Gaol
Isaac Strutt–Stevens as Christopher, hospital cancer patient
Drew Matthews as Titch
Peter Phan as Tony Leung
Kate Box as Dr Brennan[5]
Episodes
Production
Development
The television adaptation rights of Trent Dalton's novel Boy Swallows Universe were acquired by Brouhaha Entertainment, Anonymous Content and Chapter One. On 4 March 2022, it was announced that an 8-episode limited series had been commissioned by Netflix, with producers Andrew Mason and Troy Lum of Brouhaha Entertainment, Sophie Gardiner of Chapter One, and Kerry Kohansky-Roberts and Toby Bentley of Anonymous Content.[7]
Casting
It was revealed on 31 August 2022 that Felix Cameron would be playing the leading character, Eli Bell, and other main cast members included Lee Tiger Halley, Travis Fimmel , Simon Baker , Phoebe Tonkin , Bryan Brown , Anthony LaPaglia , and Sophie Wilde . Christopher James Baker , Deborah Mailman , Ben O'Toole , and others also landed roles.[8] [9]
Filming
Bus stop advertisement for the series in Brisbane
Shelly Farthing-Dawe is the main cinematographer of the series.[8] [9] Principal photography for the series reportedly began in August 2022, with filming beginning in Brisbane .[10] [11] A house in Beenleigh was used for Lyle and Frankie's house while Robert's house was located in Wavell Heights . The scenes of the family buying a secondhand Atari console were filmed in Chelmer .[12]
Reception
Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the series an 85% approval rating based on 13 reviews.[13]
Luke Buckmaster reviewing the series for The Guardian rated it four stars out of five.[14] Kylie Northover reviewing the series for The Sydney Morning Herald rated the series as five stars out of five, "As in the book, the mood is a tightrope walk between despair and childish optimism; the brothers’ lives are shaped by trauma, but this sprawling story is infused with humour and great warmth, even for the adults who have let them down."[15]
The series received widespread praise from critics, most praising Phoebe Tonkin 's performance.[16] Jessica Baker of WhoWhatWear wrote that Tonkin "is in the midst of a transformative period. Coming off a truly spectacular dramatic performance in Boy Swallows Universe ."[17] Dalton, who wrote the eponymous novel the series is based on, also praised Tonkin's performance, stating "Phoebe went right ahead and gave a performance across eight hours of television that is so raw and exposing and true and dark-as-night-sometimes and so filled with light and hope and heart and LOVE that it reminded me why I wanted to write Boy Swallows Universe in the first place."[18]
References
^ "Johnny Klimek & Gabriel Mounsey Scoring Netflix's 'Boy Swallows Universe' " . Retrieved 4 December 2023 .
^ "Boy Swallows Universe Is Being Adapted For The Screen For Netflix" . Netflix . 4 March 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022 .
^ "Awards, Oprah and a TV Deal: Success Continues for Trent Dalton's Boy Swallows Universe" . BETTER READING . 23 May 2019. Retrieved 3 August 2022 .
^ Ostby, Ingrid (13 January 2023). "Boy Swallows Universe: Everything You Need to Know About the Series" . Netflix . Retrieved 13 January 2023 .
^ H-B, Khaled (13 January 2024). "Boy Swallows Universe Season 2: What Release date?" . TheCinemalic.com . Retrieved 14 January 2024 .
^ "Shows A-Z – Boy Swallows Universe on Netflix" . The Futon Critic . Retrieved 5 December 2023 .
^ Quinn, Karl (4 March 2022). "Boy Swallows Universe: Netflix swallows Trent Dalton's bestselling novel for 8-part series" . The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 3 August 2022 .
^ a b Whittock, Jesse (31 August 2022). "Netflix's 'Boy Swallows Universe': Travis Fimmel, Simon Baker & Phoebe Tonkin To Front Aussie Drama From Brouhaha Entertainment, Anonymous Content & Chapter One" . Deadline . Retrieved 5 September 2022 .
^ a b Frater, Patrick (31 August 2022). "Travis Fimmel and Simon Baker Head Cast of Netflix Series 'Boy Swallows Universe' " . Variety . Retrieved 5 September 2022 .
^ Frater, Patrick (20 July 2022). "Netflix Series 'Boy Swallows Universe' to Shoot in Brisbane" . Variety . Retrieved 3 August 2022 .
^ Dedovic, Amila (21 July 2022). "Netflix adaptation of Trent Dalton's Boy Swallows Universe to be shot in Brisbane" . Business News Australia . Retrieved 3 August 2022 .
^ "From Darra to The Gap: How Netflix recreated 1980s Brisbane in Boy Swallows Universe" . ABC News . 12 January 2024. Retrieved 13 January 2024 .
^ "Boy Swallows Universe" . Rotten Tomatoes . 18 January 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2024 .
^ Buckmaster, Luke (11 January 2024). "Boy Swallows Universe review – Netflix's Trent Dalton adaptation is one of a kind" . The Guardian . Retrieved 13 January 2024 .
^ Northover, Kylie (9 January 2024). "Netflix's adaptation of this bestseller is incredible" . The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 13 January 2024 .
^ "Netflix's 'Boy Swallows Universe': Travis Fimmel, Simon Baker & Phoebe Tonkin to Front Aussie Drama from Brouhaha Entertainment, Anonymous Content & Chapter One" . 31 August 2022.
^ Baker, Jessica (16 January 2024). "Phoebe Tonkin Will Take Your Breath Away in Boy Swallows Universe " .
^ Tauer, Kristen (11 January 2024). "Phoebe Tonkin Explores Trauma and Tenderness in Boy Swallows Universe " .
External links
First released 2019 First released 2020 First released 2021 First released 2022 First released 2023 First released 2024