Prime Video has greenlit three new Australian original programs, bringing its total local commissions to 34 since 2019. The streaming service will debut all three titles beginning in 2027, diversifying its Australian content strategy across documentary and sports programming.
“Free Spirits: The Backpacker Poisonings” will explore a tragic incident involving eight backpackers who traveled through Southeast Asia in late 2024. The three-part documentary series examines a night in Laos that resulted in six deaths, with survivors recounting their experiences through personal footage and interviews with families. Meanwhile, “Madness of Three” will investigate a 2022 shooting in Queensland that claimed the lives of two police officers and a neighbor, with producers examining how conspiracy theories and online radicalization may have contributed to the violence.
The slate also includes a fourth season of the acclaimed cricket documentary “The Test,” which will follow Australia’s men’s cricket team through matches in South Africa and India, as well as the 2027 Ashes series. Sarah Christie, head of Australian and New Zealand originals at Amazon MGM Studios, emphasized the company’s commitment to developing local talent while creating content with global appeal.
These commissions expand Prime Video’s existing Australian roster, which includes programs such as “Deadloch” and “Final Siren: Inside the AFL,” alongside its use of the country as a production hub for international projects.
Originally reported by Variety →
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