Netflix greenlights Australia-produced thriller ‘Clickbait’

Global streamer Netflix has ordered an eight-part thriller entitled Clickbait from Australia-based producers Matchbox Pictures and Tony Ayres Productions. Working on the series in partnership with Heyday Television, they will produce the series out of studios in Melbourne.

Clickbait is described as a character-based thriller that “explores the ways in which our most dangerous and uncontrolled impulses are fueled in the age of social media, and reveals the ever widening fractures we find between our virtual and real life personas”.

Tony Ayres

Tony Ayres (The Slap) co-created the series and will serve as showrunner and executive producer. He said: “Christian White (co-creator) and I have been working with David Heyman, Tom Winchester and Rosie Alison at Heyday, as well as the good folk at Matchbox and NBCUniversal (the owner of Matchbox) for the last few years, and we’re all thrilled that we are able to partner with Netflix on a passion project which we hope will have real global reach and impact.  We are equally delighted to produce this US show in Melbourne.  It’s an opportunity to showcase the international level of Australian talent both behind and in front of the camera.”

Channing Dungey, VP of original series for Netflix, added: “We’re excited to work with the Clickbait team to create this series in Australia and share it with audiences around the globe. With world-class production facilities and talent, the Aussie industry is thriving.”

Clickbait is the first Netflix original series to be shot in the Australian state of Victoria. Caroline Pitcher, CEO Film Victoria said: “Landing this project attests to the strength of our local screen industry.”