Corporate retreats rarely involve genuine survival skills, but Netflix is turning corporate luxury upside down. The streaming platform has officially greenlit Feral, a seven-episode drama series adapted from Shirley Conran’s best-selling 1980s novel, Savages. The story follows four very different women, all wives of corporate mining executives, who accompany their partners on a tropical island getaway. When their husbands' shady deals land everyone in danger, corporate hospitality vanishes. The women must quickly learn to survive the jungle, and each other.
The lead cast features Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey, Godless) as Julia, Jessica Gunning (Baby Reindeer) as Annie, Genevieve O’Reilly (Andor, My Brilliant Career) as Silvana, and Philippa Northeast (Territory, My Brilliant Career) as Suzy. Additional casting includes Dolly de Leon (Triangle of Sadness, Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed) as Elena. Gold Coast director Emma Freeman (Dustfall, Two Years Later, Clickbait) will helm the seven episodes, guiding these executive wives as they attempt to put aside their differences, self-doubts, and vanities to stay alive.
Writer and executive producer Jude Mack described the project as an unapologetic look at women under pressure. “Feral is a wild, messy journey of self-discovery and it’s a complete dream to be carrying Shirley Conran’s torch alongside Hera and Netflix,” Mack said. “I can’t wait for people to meet these funny, brutal, bold women. I’m obsessed with them and hope audiences will be too.”
Liza Marshall, founder of Hera Pictures and executive producer, highlighted the sharp focus on character behaviour. “We’re delighted to be working with the incredibly talented Jude Mack to bring Shirley Conran’s best-selling novel to the screen,” Marshall said. “The extraordinary female characters at the heart of the show will be pushed to extremes, behave deliciously badly and have a whole lot of fun along the way. Emma Freeman is the perfect director to take us on the ride, and Netflix have wholeheartedly embraced the scale and ambition of the show.”
Production will take place across the rainforest of the Gold Coast and the islands of The Whitsundays, bringing Shirley Conran's fictional tropical island to life in Queensland. The series is produced by Hera Pictures in association with Warner Bros. International Television Production.
The project delivers significant economic backing to the state through Screen Queensland’s Production Attraction Strategy. Minister for the Arts, John-Paul Langbroek, confirmed that the Crisafulli Government is proud to support the project. “Feral will benefit from Queensland’s renowned crew base and versatile natural environments to bring the series from Hera Pictures, in association with Warner Bros. International Television Production, to life,” Minister Langbroek said. “The Crisafulli Government is proud to support Feral through Screen Queensland’s Production Attraction Strategy, a production which will contribute an estimated $38.5 million to the local economy while employing more than 250 cast and crew.”
Minister Langbroek added that the production will hire numerous local small businesses across South East Queensland and North Queensland, while providing skills development through Screen Queensland’s Attachment program.
