Boy Swallows Universe star Phoebe Tonkin is bound for WA to star in a new crime series, The Dark Lake, continuing the State’s recent screen production boom.
Adapted from the best-selling debut novel of the same name by Melbourne-based author Sarah Bailey, the series will be shot on location in Perth’s metropolitan area next year.
After a breakthrough role in the Noughties in the teen drama H2O: Just Add Water, Tonkin found success in the US in shows such as The Vampire Diaries and its spin-off, The Originals.
But it was in the 2024 Netflix series Boy Swallows Universe that Tonkin truly excelled, playing the character Frankie Bell and earning the AACTA Award for Best Actress.
In 2024 she also starred in the sports drama Kid Snow, which was shot in WA’s Goldfields.
In The Dark Lake the 37-year-old has been cast as rural town detective who must confront the dark secrets from her past when tasked with investigating the murder of a former high school classmate.
The series is being produced by Brouhaha Entertainment, the team behind Boys Swallows Universe, and producer Troy Lum said WA had secured The Dark Lake in what is a competitive environment with other States.
“After visiting Perth for an initial location scout earlier this year, we knew we’d found the perfect home for The Dark Lake,” Mr Lum said.
“We look forward to working with Western Australia’s talented local practitioners.”
The series is expected to inject more than $8.5 million into the WA economy and generate 300 local jobs, which Creative Industries Minister Simone McGurk said was validation of the Cook Government’s Western Australian Production Attraction Incentive.
“We are proud to back production activity in the State, creating jobs and professional development opportunities for local practitioners, growing a sustainable and vibrant screen industry,” Ms McGurk said.
The Dark Lake will continue WA’s run of recent productions, including the Netflix series Breakers, Stan Original series Two Birds, which filmed at Perth Film Studios, and the SBS/NITV series, Saltwater Cowboys.
Screenwest CEO Rikki Lea Bestall said partnering with established production companies also had additional benefits for WA.
“Brouhaha Entertainment have a track record of producing evocative and powerful Australian stories, and I look forward to seeing our incredible local talent, crew and wine regions shine on the global stage in this new series,” Ms Bestall said.
A distributor for The Dark Lake will be confirmed next year.