Netflix’s ‘Territory’: Release Date, Cast, Trailer and More Revealed

Prepare for blood, brutality and beasts when the upcoming Australian drama Territory finally lands on Netflix this month. Premiering on the streaming service on 24 October 2024, the blockbuster local production takes viewers inside a vicious battle for control over the world’s largest cattle station, charting the trails and tribulations of the fractured family unit that owns it. Starring an all-star Australian cast helmed by Mindhunter‘s Anna Torv and For All Mankind‘s Michael Dorman, Territory is firming as the nation’s most ambitious TV series in decades. Here is everything you need to know about Territory ahead of the drama’s release.

Territory Release Date

The release date for Territory is 24 October 2024. Producers Easy Tiger and Ronde confirmed that the full six-part series will stream on Netflix from that date, with Territory available to view in all major global markets. Episodes range in length from around 50 minutes to a longer 70-minute finale, which promises to deliver a dramatic conclusion.

The series is the brainchild of Mystery Road writer Timothy Lee and Bondi Rescue producer Ben Davies. The two reportedly came up with the idea for the series during the 2020 pandemic, noting a gap in the entertainment market for a high-stakes Australian drama that focused on the nation’s Top End.

According to Netflix, Lee and Davies “got excited about the prospect of doing a big-scale, high-stakes action drama set on a cattle station; in a part of the country you don’t often see on-screen. It was a complete contrast as we were surrounded by the Bondi crowd, people moving past us in their active wear, wet suits, carrying their surfboards while Rob and I were dreaming up stories about people in jeans, boots, and flannel shirts in the Top End.”

The series, which was originally titled Desert King, is executive produced by Davies, Rob Gibson and Ian Collie, with Paul Ranford acting as producer. Lee penned the six-episode season alongside Kodie Bedford, Steven McGregor, and Michaeley O’Brien; with the entire project directed by Australian film royalty Greg McLean. The revered filmmaker first shot to fame in 2005 with the Australian independent horror film Wolf Creek.

Territory Netflix Trailer

In September, Netflix released the official trailer for Territory, giving fans a first real glimpse at the upcoming Australian production. In addition to showcasing the Northern Territory’s remarkable rural scenery, the two-minute cinematic clip provided some background into the fractured nature of the Lawson family, revealing some key details.

What Netflix Series Territory is About

A rare and dramatised look inside the Australian cattle industry, Territory details a vicious power struggle in the remote and unforgiving outback. The series follows the plight of the Lawson family, who own and operate the fictional Marianne Station, described as the world’s largest cattle station. When the property is left without a clear heir, rival factions descend and throw the future of the coveted land into doubt.

“When Marianne Station is left without a clear successor, generational clashes threaten to tear the Lawson family apart,” the official synopsis reads. “Sensing this once-great dynasty is in decline, the outback’s most powerful factions — rival cattle barons, desert gangsters, Indigenous elders, and billionaire miners — move in for the kill. With billions of dollars at stake, everyone wants a piece of the pie.”

Throughout the series, we see the estranged Lawson family attempt to rekindle relationships amid a bitter battle for power, with family patriarch Colin Lawson (Robert Taylor) unwilling to budge from his rigid structures. The tension between family members is exacerbated by the death of an integral family member, forcing the Lawsons back together in a period of immense grief. Meanwhile, the looming figures of mining magnate Sandra Kirby and other rival cattle station owners casts a a cloud of uncertainty over the once-great Marianne Station.

Much of the series centres around the cattle mustering industry, which in Australia accounts for a whopping 63,000 businesses and generates an annual turnover of $75.4 billion. In this sector, viable farming land remains at a premium and the unscrupulous characters of Territory are willing to do anything to get it.

Territory Cast

Leading the Australian production is a stellar cast of Australian actors, many of whom we’ve seen on the international stage numerous times before. Netflix alum Anna Torv, who previously helmed the David Fincher series Mindhunter takes centre stage as Emily Lawson, the daughter-in-law of family patriarch Colin Lawson, while For All Mankind‘s Michael Dorman plays her dishevelled husband Graham. Elsewhere, Vikings: Valhalla star Sam Corlett plays prodigal son Marshall Lawson and Sam Delich, who stole the show in the Chris Hemsworth thriller Spiderhead, takes another sinister role as the enigmatic larrikin, Rich Petrakis. Here is the full Territory cast:

• Anna Torv as Emily Lawson
• Michael Dorman as Graham Lawson
• Robert Taylor as Colin Lawson
• Sam Corlett as Marshall Lawson
• Sara Wiseman as Sandra Kirby
• Dan Wyllie as Hank Hodge
• Clarence Ryan as Nolan Brannock
• Jay Ryan as Campbell Miller
• Philippa Northeast as Susie Lawson
• Joe Klocek as Lachie Kirby
• Kylah Day as Sharnie Kennedy
• Sam Delich as Rich Petrakis
• Hamilton Morris as Uncle Bryce
• Tuuli Narkle as Keeley Redford
• Tyler Spencer as Dezi
• Jake Ryan as Daniel Lawson

Where Was Territory Filmed?

The Netflix series Territory was filmed across both the Northern Territory and South Australia, with production taking place in some of the nation’s most brutal environments. According to the producers of the series, the real-life Tipperary Station, which is home to 42,000 head of cattle, was used for much of the Marianne sequences. An apt fill-in for the fictional locale, the working cattle station is so large it features its own airfield and school. Additional filming locations include the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park, which was utilised with special permission from the Traditional Owners and the small town of Mallala on the Adelaide Plains.

According to the South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC), Territory is the biggest Netflix series ever to be filmed in South Australia, with both production and post-production taking place in the state. Production began in 2023, supported by the SAFC’s Screen Production Fund and SA PDV Rebate, with crews utilising the SAFC’s Adelaide Studios facilities and filming out on location.

“The six-part series is not only being filmed in South Australia, but post-production work will be taking place here too, creating even more jobs for our talented screen sector,” South Australian Minister for the Arts Andrea Michaels MP said. “Attracting major international streaming platforms like Netflix to South Australia speaks volumes about the remarkable skill and creativity of our Adelaide Studios. The Malinauskas Government will continue to invest in and support our world-class screen industry to tell Australian stories to the world.”

Territory will be released globally on Netflix on 24 October, 2024 as part of Netflix’s growing slate of Australian productions. The drama series follows the successful release of the TV mini-seires Boy Swallows Universe starring Felix Cameron, Travis Fimmel and Simon Baker, as well as the second season of teen drama Heartbreak High.