Tropical Far North Queensland is blessed with the ideal locations to bring Netflix and NBC Universal’s Irreverent to life.

With a fish-out-of-water story set firmly in Far North Queensland, principal photography on the 10-part series, produced by Matchbox Pictures (an NBCUniversal International Studios company), started in September 2021. Production commenced on the Gold Coast at Village Roadshow Studios and surrounding locations, before heading up north to Mission Beach and the inland townships of Tully and Silkwood.

“Shooting in Queensland was a blessing across production, location, and people.

On Irreverent, we were lucky enough to work across a large and varied part of the Queensland coast – from Far North Queensland up and around tropical Mission Beach with its islands and rainforests down to the sea, and then down in the magnificent studio facility at Village Roadshow on the Gold Coast.”

Paddy Macrae, Executive Producer/Creator/Showrunner

 The Far North Queensland region is rich with palm tree-lined winding coastal roads, small-town streetscapes, expansive beaches and rainforest tracks — heaven to create Irreverent’s fictional seaside town of ‘Clump’

“From a producer’s perspective, Queensland has it all. Majestic locations, extraordinary crew, talent on screen and off, world class facilities and film friendly councils.

It’s rare to combine all of those factors, and shooting an ambitious project like Irreverent in Queensland was only possible because of the ability to bring them all together in one state.”

Paddy Macrae, Executive Producer/Creator/Showrunner

 “The natural locations were exquisite and enabled the type of scope and world building unequalled in Australia. But perhaps the greatest resource I found working in Queensland were the state-based crews – they were among the most professional, hardworking and jovial crews I have had the pleasure of working with.

I would recommend shooting in Queensland without hesitation.”

Lucy Gaffy, Director – Irreverent Episodes 4-8

Earlier filming around the City of Gold Coast in South-East Queensland included luxury mansions and high-end hotels (Palazzo Versace, Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort and Q1) as well as agricultural sites such as a sugar mill and banana plantation. The Gold Coast also doubled as Chicago.

Irreverent was supported by the Australian Government’s Location Incentive and the Queensland Government via Screen Queensland’s Production Attraction Strategy, which offers an incentive for productions with a minimum spend of AU$3.5 million in the state. Screen Queensland also provided bespoke services including a physical production liaison and location/scouting assistance.

Irreverent is streaming exclusively now on Peacock in the US and Netflix in Australia and New Zealand.

“We are thrilled with the result and can’t wait to return!”

Paddy Macrae, Executive Producer/Creator/Showrunner

In further Queensland screen production news, Stan Original series Black Snow was one of five productions to screen at Content London recently. The gripping Australian murder mystery from Goalpost Television stars Travis Fimmel (Vikings, Boy Swallows Universe) and was filmed in Queensland’s popular haven, the Whitsunday region — which also starred in the romantic comedy Ticket to Paradise (doubling for Bali).

Productions currently filming in Queensland and supported by Screen Queensland’s Production Attraction Strategy include Disney+ sci-fi series Nautilus and Brouhaha Entertainment’s Boy Swallows Universe for Netflix. Several feature films have also recently wrapped — Land of Bad (Highland Film Group, Volition Media Partners and Broken Open Pictures), Legendary Pictures’ sequel to Godzilla v Kong and Wizards! (Plan B/See-Saw Films/A24).

For more information about Queensland incentives, locations and studios, contact:
Naomi Wenck
Production Attraction Director, Screen Queensland
[email protected]
+61 7 3248 0500

Images: Irreverent behind-the-scenes photos courtesy of Matchbox Pictures and Netflix ANZ