Australian director Peter Weir’s Picnic at Hanging Rock — about a group of Victorian schoolgirls who inexplicably vanish during a Valentine’s Day outing in 1900 — has earned both a cult following and critical respect in the years since its 1975 release. Now the dreamy, eerie tale is getting new life as a six-part TV miniseries.
Image: Le Cinema Dreams
Details are scant so far beyond the announcement made by broadcaster Foxtel, per Variety:
“The 1975 film which was pivotal in establishing the modern Australian film industry. This series, based on the classic novel, will take viewers on a new and in depth journey into this incredibly iconic Australian story,” said Foxtel head of drama, Penny Win.
The six-part show is being made for Australian TV, so for once Australians will get something first. But that doesn’t mean audiences in other parts of the world won’t get to see it. Jane Campion’s New Zealand mystery miniseries Top of the Lake made its way overseas, as did the Aussie horror series Wolf Creek, based on the film of the same name — and starring John Jarratt, who also happens to be in the original Picnic at Hanging Rock.