Perth Film Studios has welcomed its first major production filming on the lot, marking a significant milestone for Western Australia’s screen industry.
The Stan Original and ITV series Two Birds will be the first production to film at the purpose-built facility and is supported by WA Production Attraction Incentive, managed by Screenwest. The incentive is designed to attract high-profile, market-driven, footloose screen productions to Western Australia.
Two Birds comes from BAFTA and Peabody Award-winning producer Patrick Spence (Mr Bates vs The Post Office, A Spy Among Friends, The Hack) through UK production company AC Chapter One (Boy Swallows Universe), and Western Australian producer Martha Coleman (Scrublands: Silver, Diary of an Uber Driver) through Third Act Stories, with pre-production kicking off this week.
Written by Helen FitzGerald (The Cry) and Megan Palinkas (Heartbreak High), and directed by BAFTA-nominated James Griffiths (The Ballad of Wallis Island, Maternal, Episodes) and Corrie Chen (Good Cop/Bad Cop), the series is supported by Stan Executive Producers Andy Ryan and Donna Chang, alongside ITV’s Callum Dziedzic, James Griffiths, Helen FitzGerald and Luke Speed.
Filming both in studio and on location in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, the series is led by BAFTA award-winning Sheridan Smith (I Fought The Law, No Return, The Teacher, Mrs Biggs) and supported by an Australian cast including Judy Davis (Stan Original Nitram, Mystery Road) and Stephen Peacocke (Five Bedrooms, The Newsreader).
The series is estimated to inject more than $17 million into the WA economy and directly employ more than 100 Western Australian cast and crew.
Located in Malaga, Perth Film Studios is Western Australia’s first purpose-built screen production facility, offering over 90,000 square feet of sound stage space, more than 70,000 square feet of workshops and construction areas, a 5.7-acre backlot, and a full suite of production support spaces.
The commencement of filming signals the studio’s transition into full operation and reinforces Western Australia’s position as a competitive destination for film and high-end television production.
Perth Film Studios will host both independent and government-incentivised productions throughout 2026, providing a home for increasing screen production activity across Western Australia, spanning scripted and documentary projects.
Western Australian filmmakers Karla Hart, Renee Kennedy and Nathan Gibbs are also utilising the studios as a production base for Saltwater Cowboys of Shark Bay, a documentary series for NITV and SBS, further demonstrating the studio’s role in supporting local storytelling alongside international production.
“We are enormously proud to welcome Two Birds as the first production to shoot at Perth Film Studios. A project that brings together international partners, Australian producers and Western Australian crews is a strong signal of what this studio – and Western Australia more broadly – can offer as a base for ambitious, high-end screen production with global reach.”
Tom Avison, CEO of Perth Film Studios
Avison continues: “Equally important to us is what this moment means for our local industry. Seeing Saltwater Cowboys of Shark Bay working on site at the same time is incredibly exciting—it reflects our ambition for a studio that is alive, inclusive and grounded in Western Australian storytelling whilst supporting growth in the screen ecosystem, where projects of every scale can thrive side-by-side.”
“Screenwest is pleased to be supporting the first production to take place at the brand-new Perth Film Studios. Two Birds is set to be a prestige drama series and we look forward to working with Third Act Stories, AC Chapter One, Stan and ITV.”
Rikki Lea Bestall, CEO of Screenwest
Creative Industries Minister Simone McGurk had this to say about the newly announced production:
“I’m thrilled to announce the first production at our world-class Perth Film Studios, with Australian Judy Davis – one of the finest actresses of her generation. The Two Birds production is estimated to generate $17 million for the State’s economy and employ over 100 local cast and crew. This is all part of the Cook Government’s vision to grow the State’s film industry to help diversify the economy, create local jobs and unlock new opportunities for talent in Western Australia.”
Two Birds is a co-production between ITV and Stan, with major production investment from Screenwest and the Western Australian Production Attraction Incentive. The series is produced in association with and distributed internationally by ITV Studios.
