Netflix developing series adaptation of Australian classic My Brilliant Career

Netflix will develop a new series based on the 1901 Australian novel My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin. The story is set in rural Australia in the 1890s. My Brilliant Career follows the young and ambitious Sybylla Melvyn, a girl who dreams of becoming a writer in a time when women barely had a voice, let alone a career. Philippa Northeast, known from Territory, will play the lead role as the rebellious Sybylla.



Northeast (pictured) is joined by a strong cast, including Christopher Chung (Slow Horses) as Harry, Anna Chancellor (Outrageous) as Mrs. Bossier, Genevieve O’Reilly (Andor) as Helen and Kate Mulvany (Hunters) as Augusta. The series also stars Jake Dunn, Alexander England, Sherry-Lee Watson and Miah Madden.

The production is being handled by Jungle Entertainment and will take place largely at Adelaide Studios and various locations in South Australia. The novel was previously adapted into a successful film in 1979, but this new series promises a contemporary and more in-depth interpretation of Franklin’s feminist classic.

Kate Croser, CEO of the South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC), said she was proud to be working with Netflix and Jungle Entertainment. She stressed that the project will be largely produced by a South Australian crew, led by Paul Ranford, and that it will be another powerful showcase for the region’s film and television industry.