Netflix has unveiled Queenstown, its first locally commissioned New Zealand series, with production now underway in the South Island’s famous alpine resort.
Created by Chloe Stearns (Wolf Like Me, The Falling Girls), the eight-part drama is set against the backdrop of Queenstown’s luxury ski scene, where wealth, power and family collide beneath the town’s postcard-perfect exterior.
The series is set to star Rufus Sewell (The Diplomat, Scoop, The Father), Frances O’Connor (Wednesday, The Missing), Alycia Debnam-Carey (Apple Cider Vinegar, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart) and Te Kohe Tuhaka (Chief of War, The Convert). Leading the series behind the camera is Glendyn Ivin (The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, Penguin Bloom), who will also serve as executive producer, alongside director Roseanne Liang (Avatar: The Last Airbender).
The official synopsis reads: Beneath the glamour of Queenstown’s luxury ski scene, a privileged family and the people who work for them collide over power, loyalty and desire.
Netflix Australia and New Zealand’s Director of Content, Amanda Duthie, described the production as a milestone for the streamer in the region, highlighting both the local creative talent involved and the opportunities the series will create for New Zealand’s screen industry.
Executive producers Jodi Matterson and Libbie Doherty said Queenstown reflects the kind of ambitious storytelling they set out to champion through Silent Firework and Runaway Unicorn, describing creator Stearns as “an extraordinary new voice” and expressing confidence the series could become audiences’ next television obsession.
No release date for Queenstown has yet been announced.
