‘Far North’: Drug Smuggling Dramedy Could Be New Zealand’s Version Of ‘Fargo’
21.11.2023 - 14:03
/ deadline.com
Welcome to Global Breakouts, Deadline’s fortnightly strand in which we shine a spotlight on the TV shows and films killing it in their local territories. The industry is as globalized as it’s ever been, but breakout hits are appearing in pockets of the world all the time and it can be hard to keep track… So, we’re going to do the hard work for you.
This time round, we’re flying way down south (ironically) to explore Far North, a dramedy crime caper New Zealand about a normal couple who are caught up a major drug smuggling operation led by the world’s most hopeless gang. Incredibly based on a true story, the show has met with critical acclaim and ratings across Australasia ahead of a U.S. debut on co-producer Sundance Now.
Name: Far North
Country: New Zealand
Producer: South Pacific Pictures, White Balance Pictures
Distributor: All3Media International
For fans of: Fargo
Asked what a streaming service might make of Far North, South Pacific Pictures CEO Kelly Martin answers: “Perhaps a New Zealand version of Fargo but without any of the crazy violence.”
Martin’s musing is quite the statement, but audiences in New Zealand seemed to get it — the six-part series has been warmly received by critics and topped ratings for Warner Bros. Discovery-owned national channel TV3, its streaming service ThreeNow and for Paramount+ in Australia. A Sundance Now launch is incoming and distributor All3Media International has been pushing the show in the global buying sphere.
The plot is part comedy caper, part survival drama and part mystery thriller. It follows an inept Tongan-Australian gang who see the chance for a $500M fortune when they do a deal with a massive drug cartel to smuggle half a ton of meth from Hong Kong to New Zealand. The
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