A decade after launching on our shores, Netflix is making more locally produced content than ever. If it doesn’t push upstream to meet federal mandates, the Australian government can go fishing for a billion-dollar catch.
Six streaming companies operating in Australia boast more than a million subscribers, according to 2025 data from Telsyte. On January 1 this year, that accolade earned those streamers production mandates imposed by the federal government. Now, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Stan, Paramount+, Kayo, and Binge are required to invest heavily in locally produced original content.
Australia’s most popular streamer, Netflix, announced its 2026 slate to meet those requirements this week. The new homegrown titles run the gamut from Willy Wonka’s Golden Ticket, to an animated Stranger Things series, to the classic Aussie novel My Brilliant Career.
Filming is taking place across WA, SA, Victoria, NSW and Queensland, employing Australian cast and crew alongside international stars including Philippa Northeast, Taron Egerton, Dennis Quaid, and Charlize Theron.
Netflix’s new slate comes on the heels of The Survivors, a six-episode murder mystery series shot in Tasmania, which delivered a record 8.3 million views for the streamer last year. That title helped Netflix’s Australian revenue reach $1.3 billion in the financial year 2024, and pushed the number of Australian subscribers up to 6-million.
Under the new regulations, Netflix is now required to either commit either 7.5 per cent of its Australian revenue to local content, or 10 per cent of its total international programming budget. Not meeting the ‘content quota’ means the streamer could face a fine of 10x its annual revenue – or $975 million based on 2024 records.
Amanda Duthie, Netflix ANZ’s recently appointed Content Director, says the company has been investing in local content for the last eight years, because that is what Australian audiences want to see, and that it would produce programming on our shores with or without the mandate. The former Stan executive believes however, that increasing homegrown production will have a positive impact on the Australian entertainment industry.
“When there’s consistency and ambition in commissioning, it creates momentum across the entire industry from writers’ rooms through to crews on set and post-production teams,” says Duthie.
Forbes Australia spoke with Netflix’s head of ANZ content about the impact of the new mandate, the just-announced 2026 slate, and prioritising Aussie voices and stories.
Why is it important to give Australian audiences Australian content?
Australian stories resonate most strongly when they are true to character, place and voice, and that comes from strong creative partnerships. I firmly believe Australian stories travel when they are deeply local and authentic. Netflix two most popular titles – Squid Games and KPop Demon Hunters – are both titles that were developed for the local, Korean audience and gained global popularity because of their success in Korea. They have entertained locally and shone globally.
Across the 2026 slate, from returning series like Heartbreak High to new projects such as Allen and Breakers, we are backing both familiar favourites and new voices through close, long-term collaboration. As I step into this role, my focus is on building on that foundation.
The third and final season of Heartbreak High will be on Netflix in 2026. Image: Netflix
What is your position on the mandates for homegrown Aussie content?
We’ve been investing significantly in Australian content since well before my time at Netflix, so for the new content team, it is largely business as usual. We keep investing regardless of regulation, because our members want us to, and we believe it is important for the audience and our local screen industry. In the last five years, Netflix has invested over $10 million in building the capacity of the Australian and New Zealand screen industry through paid placements, training and development initiatives. I’m proud that Netflix’s investment extends beyond individual titles into training, post-production, animation and broader industry capability. That long-term investment supports a healthy creative ecosystem and helps nurture the next generation of screen storytellers across ANZ.
Will this energise film and series production in Australia and what feedback do you hear from actors and below-the-line talent/crew?
Yes, sustained investment and a strong, forward-looking slate absolutely energise production. Being able to build careers at home, work on stories that reflect Australia’s voice, and collaborate with world-class partners without leaving the country is incredibly motivating. Just as importantly, the investment in skills development and training means people aren’t just getting jobs they are building long-term careers. That’s what ultimately strengthens the entire production ecosystem.
Why were these titles and subjects chosen for Australian programming?
This 2026 slate brings together stories that differ widely in tone, scale and ambition, from every corner of ANZ. Heartbreak High in Sydney, My Brilliant Career primarily filmed in Adelaide, and Allen out of Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, this slate reflects the breadth and quality of storytelling in this market, with stories designed to resonate both locally and globally. These stories are confident and curious, revisiting classics with fresh creativity, placing distinctive characters at the forefront while remaining authentic to ANZ, and where we see ourselves in the world.
How is the Australian market different than say, the U.S. market, where Netflix is headquartered?
Australia and New Zealand play a unique role for Netflix – both as the home of powerful local storytelling and as a base for major global productions. Alongside locally originated stories, our 2026 slate also includes global titles made in the region with local crews and talent, driving investment, skills development and creative ambition across the screen industry. ANZ is both a source of distinctive stories and a truly world-class production hub. It’s one of the best places in the world to make great content. The landscapes help create extraordinary worlds on screen, but it’s the people who really make the difference – the actors, writers, directors, crews and creatives whose skill and imagination elevate every production.
That talent doesn’t just power local stories; it’s visible across Netflix’s global titles as well. Whether it’s Oscar Piastri becoming a fan favourite on Drive to Survive or Sydney-born Yerin Ha leading the latest season of Bridgerton, Australian and New Zealand talent are contributing to stories that resonate with audiences around the world.
Netflix Australian style: The 2026 slate
War Machine brings large-scale action, with Victorian filmmaker Patrick Hughes returning home to make a high-intensity feature in his home state. Set over the final 24 hours of an elite military selection programme, the film combines relentless momentum with a strong
ensemble cast including Alan Ritchson, Dennis Quaid and Jai Courtney.
Apex is an adrenaline-pumping thriller starring Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton, set and made in the Australian wilderness. It follows a grieving woman suddenly ensnared in a deadly game with a ruthless predator.
East of Eden brings a different register to the slate, reimagining John Steinbeck’s classic novel through a contemporary lens. Shot in New Zealand, the limited series places renewed focus on character and moral complexity.
Wonka: The Golden Ticket, an unscripted series filmed on the Gold Coast by Eureka Productions, is a high-stakes social experiment that challenges players physically and mentally as they navigate games, tests and temptations and their ability to thrive in chaos.
Heartbreak High‘s third and final series is set and filmed in Sydney, and follows Hartley High’s graduating class as they say goodbye school, hello adulthood.
Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 is a world-extending animated series made by Sydney-based Flying Bark Productions, in which the original characters must fight new monsters and unravel a paranormal mystery terrorising their town.
My Brilliant Career is a series adaptation of Miles Franklin’s iconic novel filmed in South Australia, and centring on Sybylla (Phillipa Northeast), a modern young woman with one ambition: to be a writer. The choice between adventure and a safe marriage is easy, until she falls in love.
Steps is an animation from Netflix Animation Studios in Sydney. Voiced by Ali Wong and Stephanie Hsu, the feature follows Cinderella’s “evil” stepsisters as they set out to save the kingdom, and repair a fractured fairytale.
The Mosquito Bowl is based on the true story of four college football stars who enlist in the Marines following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Led by Nicholas Galitzine and Bill Skarsgård and directed by Peter Berg, the World War II drama was filmed on the Gold Coast, Queensland.
Allen is a heartwarming tale of friendship and adventure, created by Ludo Studio, the makers of hit animation Bluey and the award-winning live action series, Thou Shall Not Steal. Set against the backdrop of a Queensland coastal town, the film follows Petey, played by T.J. Power, who reunites with his long-lost best friend, Allen, 20 years later.
Breakers is the first Netflix series to shoot on the coast of Western Australia, and follows the story of two backpacking friends who are drawn into a close-knit surf community. From the makers of Baby Reindeer, the series explores power, loyalty and belonging, with the Busselton beachfront as the backdrop of a fictional town.
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