After 20 weeks of filming across various locations in Victoria, the forthcoming Apple TV+ psychological thriller series The Dispatcher has now wrapped production.
The series, which is set in Australia, focuses on a police dispatcher named Ian Hunt who was formerly a detective.
Hunt’s life is shattered when his daughter Maggie disappears. Some ten years later, when he receives a distress call from a girl he believes to be Maggie, he embarks on a desperate mission to find her and reunite his family – no matter the cost.
The Dispatcher: quick links
The Dispatcher features Gotham Award winner Patrick Brammall (Colin from Accounts, Evil) in the lead role, alongside BAFTA nominee Maxine Peake (Say Nothing, Black Mirror), Brendan Cowell (Dune: Prophecy, Plum), Daniel Henshall (Mickey 17), Jessica Wren (Mr. Inbetween), Zahra Newman (Thirteen Lives) and newcomer Chloe Jean Lourdes.
As reported in VicScreen and Creative Victoria, the series has already delivered an estimated $50 million boost to Victoria’s economy, with around $5 million spent in regional communities.
Minister for Creative Industries Colin Brooks took a tour of the set at Docklands Studios Melbourne and met with cast and crew including Brendan Cowell, director Christian Schwochow, executive producers Hakan Kousetta and Joanna Werner, producer Katharina Haase, and writer-exec Kris Mrksa.
Regional Victoria in the spotlight for The Dispatcher
Filming took place in a number of Victorian locations, including Somers, Hoddles Creek, Yarra Bend Park, Altona, Avalon, Warburton, Mount Dandenong, Warrnambool and Portland.
The local government has been quick to highlight that the production generated 1,668 jobs for Victorian screen professionals, comprising 768 cast and crew and 900 background artists, and involved 735 Victorian businesses across sectors such as accommodation, transport and hospitality.
22 emerging Victorian screen practitioners were trained, shadowing key creative roles over an average five-month period, and spanning departments such as lighting, transport, art, script, assistant directing, and shadowing producers and directors.
What’s next for Victoria’s after The Dispatcher
Minister Brooks said: ‘The Dispatcher is another world-class production we’re proud to have attracted to Victoria … showcasing our stunning locations and screen capabilities to the world. Productions like this are big business for our state – including regional communities.’
VicScreen CEO Caroline Pitcher added that 60Forty’s commitment to sustainability, inclusivity and training truly stands out, and she praised the number and type of opportunities the shoot provided for emerging Victorian creatives.
Executive Producer Hakan Kousetta said Victoria’s ‘fantastic facilities, competitive incentives, incredible locations and first-class crew made filming here a really easy choice’, and that the series would play a key role in showcasing Victoria’s screen industry.
This six-part adaptation of Ryan David Jahn’s novel was written and executive produced by Kris Mrksa and directed by Emmy-nominated Christian Schwochow.
It’s executive produced by Jamie Laurenson and Hakan Kousetta (60Forty Films), alongside Schwochow, Mrksa and Joanna Werner (Werner Film Productions), with Katharina Haase producing, Stuart Menzies co-producing and Amanda Crittenden as line producer.
The Dispatcher joins a growing slate of premium productions powered by VicScreen and the Federal Government’s Location Offset. Recent projects include Goolagong, Gnomes, Play Dead and The Untitled John Tuggle Project.
The Dispatcher does not yet have a release date. For more information, head to the VicScreen website.
