Global premiere on Disney + for new Australian original series ‘The Artful Dodger’
Image: Thomas Brodie-Sangster is Jack Dawkins in THE ARTFUL DODGER. Image: supplied
By ISABELLA GIBBS
Disney+ is set to enthral audiences with its upcoming Australian original series, The Artful Dodger, scheduled for an exclusive premiere on November 29. The series brings a fresh Australian perspective to the iconic Dickens’ narrative, boasting a remarkable cast and crew sure to captivate audiences.
Set against the picturesque backdrop of 1850s Australia, the series is a vivid reimagining of the Charles Dickens classic,Oliver Twist. Anchored in the lively colony of Port Victory, the story follows the escapades of Jack Dawkins, otherwise known as The Artful Dodger, who transferred his fast fingers as a pickpocket to the nimble skilled fingers of a surgeon. The eight-part series is a tale of reinvention, betrayal, redemption, and love with a twist, as Dodgers’ past collides with his present.
Adding to the show’s allure is its ensemble of local Australian cast and crew, comprising top-tier talents that take the series to unprecedented heights. Starring Thomas Brodie-Sangster, best known for his roles in The Queens Gambit and Pistol, playing Jack Dawkins, aka The Artful Dodger. His co-stars include David Thewlis (Landscapers, Fargo) as Fagin, and Maia Mitchell (Good Trouble, The Fosters) as Lady Bell Fox.
But it doesn’t stop there; fellow Australian talent continues to flood the cast list, including: Damon Herriman (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Judy and Punch), Miranda Tapsell (Top End Wedding, The Sapphires), Tim Minchin (Upright, Californication), Susie Porter (Wentworth, Gold), Kym Gyngell (Love Me, Black Snow), Damien Garvey (Nautilus, Jack Irish) and Jessica De Gouw (The Secrets She Keeps, The Drover’s Wife). Also joining the cast are rising talents from down under including Nicholas Burton, Lucy-Rose Leonard, Vivienne Awosoga and New Zealand talent Albert Latailakepa.
The creative force behind the highly anticipated series is equally impressive. A co-production between Sony Pictures Television’s Curio Pictures and Beach Road Pictures, the series is helmed by creators James McNamara, David Maher, and David Taylor. With industry professionals leading the production, the fusion of storytelling and technicality is bound to be seamless.
