, the popular Australian-Canadian documentary series exploring the controversy surrounding cultural objects purloined by British colonialists, is set to be reimagined as a big-budget scripted heist series. The new version is backed by Warner Bros. Television Production Australia ( , ) and Wooden Horse ( , ).
The partners describe the series, which will run for six, one-hour episodes, as “a provocative and sharply observed deep dive into the complexity of history, and identity, in our modern world through an irreverent and wryly humorous lens.” The new drama is created and scripted by playwright turned rising TV writer Anchuli Felicia King, who wrote on HBO series and , Amazon’s and for Foxtel. Ben Chessell ( , , , ) is attached to direct and also write episodes.
The core creative team is joined by Kacie Anning ( , , ) and award-winning First Nations writer and playwright, Dylan Van Den Berg. Marc Fennell, creator of the original documentary series, will join the team as an executive producer. Other executive producers include Richard Finlayson and Jude Troy of Wooden Horse, and Hamish Lewis and Michael Brooks of WBITVP Australia.
“Led by Anchuli Felicia King, the writing team, alongside attached set-up director Ben Chessell, have developed a unique cast of diverse and fascinating characters, who almost accidentally steal their way to becoming the heroes of a global repatriation movement,” the producers said in a joint statement. “If there’s one thing we learned .