It seems that the enduring love and reverence for the feminist Australian literary classic My Brilliant Career is only gaining more momentum as the years roll on.
Off the back of the continued success of Melbourne Theatre Company’s musical adaptation of the story – which just cleaned up at the 58th annual AWGIE Awards, and also scored a 4.5-star review from ArtsHub – the iconic 1901 novel by Miles Franklin (aka Stella Franklin) is now also the inspiration for a brand new series adaptation from Netflix.
Recently filmed in South Australia and set to be released sometime this year, the My Brilliant Career series is just one of a number of upcoming productions unveiled earlier this week as part of Netflix’s Australian and New Zealand content slate for 2026.
Netflix ANZ 2026 slate: quick links
Aussie literary classic coming to Netflix
Adapted by Liz Doran (Please Like Me, Dance Academy) and directed by Alyssa McClelland (Sex Education, Amandaland) and Anne Renton (He Had it Coming, The Bold Type), the six-part series centres on Sybylla (Phillipa Northeast), a shockingly modern young woman growing up in a rural town in Australia in the early 20th century who possesses a searing ambition to be a writer.
With an irrepressible taste for fun, the choice between adventure and a safe marriage is easy, until she falls in love. Should Sybylla marry, or should she throw herself to the winds of fate and risk a creative life?
Philippa Northeast (Paper Dolls, The Newsreader, Home and Away) stars alongside Genevieve O’Reilly (The Dry, Glitch, Andor), Kate Mulvany (How to Make Gravy, The Twelve), Christopher Chung, Anna Chancellor, Jake Dunn, Alexander England, Sherry-Lee Watson and Miah Madden.
Netflix promises even more Aussie content in 2026
Netflix’s upcoming slate spans scripted series, feature films, unscripted entertainment and animation, bringing together local stories and major global productions made with Australian and New Zealand talent, crews and creative expertise. The streaming service says that this move ‘reflects Netflix’s continued commitment to Australasian storytelling’. Here’s what is on the agenda:
Heartbreak High Season 3
Before My Brilliant Career comes to the small screen, Netflix’s 2026 slate will kick off with the final season of one of Australia’s most culturally resonant contemporary series – Heartbreak High. Set and filmed in Sydney and premiering on Netflix on March 25, the third instalment will follow Hartley High’s graduating class as they say goodbye school, hello adulthood.
Allen
This heart-warming new feature film is a tale of friendship and adventure created by Ludo Studio, the makers of hit animation Bluey and the award-winning live action series, Thou Shall Not Steal. Set against the backdrop of a Queensland coastal town, the film follows Petey, played by T.J. Power, who reunites with his long-lost best friend, Allen, 20 years later.
Breakers
Breakers is the first Netflix series to shoot on the coast of Western Australia, and follows the story of two backpacking friends who are drawn into a close-knit surf community. From the makers of Baby Reindeer, the series explores power, loyalty and belonging, with the Busselton beachfront as the backdrop of a fictional town.
Led by Antony Starr, Oliver Edis, Annabel Wolfe and D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, the cast also includes Heartbreak High alumni Asher Yasbincek, Sherry-Lee Watson and Brodie Townsend.
War Machine
Victorian filmmaker Patrick Hughes returned home to create this high-intensity, sci-fi action feature in his home state. Set over the final 24 hours of an elite military selection programme, the film combines relentless momentum with a strong ensemble cast including Alan Ritchson, Dennis Quaid and Jai Courtney. Set to premiere on Netflix on 6 March.
Apex
Set and made in the Australian wilderness, Apex is an adrenaline-pumping thriller starring Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton that follows a grieving woman suddenly ensnared in a deadly game with a ruthless predator.
The Mosquito Bowl
The Mosquito Bowl is based on the true story of four college football stars who enlist in the Marines following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Led by Nicholas Galitzine and Bill Skarsgård and directed by Peter Berg, the World War II drama was filmed on the Gold Coast.
East of Eden
East of Eden brings a different register to the slate, reimagining John Steinbeck’s classic novel through a contemporary lens. Shot in New Zealand, the limited series places renewed focus on character and moral complexity.
Wonka: The Golden Ticket
A wacky new unscripted series filmed on the Gold Coast by Eureka Productions, Wonka: The Golden Ticket showcases another side of what Australia can deliver: technically ambitious, imaginative, and built with extraordinary craft.
Set inside a retro-futuristic dreamscape, this high-stakes social experiment challenges players physically and mentally as they navigate games, tests and temptations designed to probe their instincts, resilience, and ability to thrive in chaos.
Stranger Things: Tales From ’85
A world-extending animated series is made by Sydney-based Flying Bark Productions, in which the original characters must fight new monsters and unravel a paranormal mystery terrorising their town.
Steps
An animated film from Netflix Animation Studios produced in Sydney (sharing animation production with Vancouver), Steps brings a fresh twist to a classic fairytale. Think you know Cinderella’s ‘evil’ stepsisters? Think again.
When misunderstood Lilith (Ali Wong) is blamed for hijacking the Royal Ball with a stolen magic wand, she accidentally turns her sister Margot (Stephanie Hsu) into a frog, and leaves the kingdom in the hands of a prince-obsessed mean girl.
Now Lilith must team up with Cinderella (and a surprisingly dreamy troll) to save the kingdom, repair the fractured fairytale, and prove that even so-called villains deserve a shot at happily-ever-after.
Netflix’s new ANZ Content Director champions local stories
Leading this next chapter is Amanda Duthie, Netflix’s newly appointed Content Director for ANZ. Duthie began her career at SBS in 1991, and was previously the CEO of the Adelaide Film Festival and a board member of the Adelaide Festival.
‘Throughout my career, I’ve seen that local stories resonate most powerfully when they’re deeply specific, true to a character, a community or a moment in time,’ said Duthie. ‘This 2026 slate brings together stories that differ widely in tone, scale and ambition, from every corner of the region.
‘The stories are confident and curious, revisiting classics with fresh creativity, placing distinctive characters at the forefront while remaining authentic to ANZ, and where we see ourselves in the world. Our region plays a unique dual role as both the home of powerful local stories and a production base for ambitious global projects, and those two realities strengthen each other.’
