DOUGLASNEWS.NETWORK
Have you noticed a busy cast and crew enjoying production on the teen mystery drama DIVE CLUB around Port Douglas lately?
Filming of DIVE CLUB is well underway, with the series set for worldwide release in 2021, screening in more than 190 countries as a Netflix original.
Ahead of its Netflix release, DIVE CLUB will premiere to Australian audiences on Network 10. The teen mystery storyline captivates viewers right from the start, teamed with standout performances from a talented, young cast and the picturesque Port Douglas backdrop, set to take Australian-made production in the YA genre to a whole new level in 2021.
The 12 episode series is the latest project from The Steve Jaggi Company, and stars Miah Madden (Australia Day, The Unlisted), Georgia-May Davis (Young Talent Time, Disney Backstage Pass), Sanaβa Shaik (Reckoning, 2067), Mercy Cornwall (The Queenβs Gambit, The Heights) and newcomer Aubri Ibrag,
DIVE CLUB is the story of 16-year-olds Maddie (Madden), Lauren (Davis), Anna (Ibrag) and Stevie (Shaik). On the surface theyβre regular teenagers navigating life, friendship and romance, but under the water the skilled divers enter a whole new world of adventure. An idyllic existence is suddenly shattered when Cape Mercy is battered by a cyclone. Lauren, the groupβs charismatic trailblazer, goes missing. The mystery of her disappearance, the arrival of a new friend, Izzie (Cornwall) and with suspicious holes in the official investigation, the girls are plunged into a desperate search of their own that raises more questions the deeper they dive.
Rounding out the cast is Australian model and digital creator Joshua Heuston making his screen debut, Alexander Grant (Radio Waves), and Joseph Spanti (Coffee Lover). Behind the camera is a strong collection of talent and experience, with Directors Rhiannon Bannenberg, Hayley MacFarlane and Christine Luby, and Showrunner and Series Creator Steve Jaggi.
βDive Club is a culmination of a lot of hard work and Imagineering from an incredibly talented group of writers and filmmakers. Every detail has been meticulously planned β from Cape Mercyβs colourful history through to each costume and prop seen on screen β all with the objective of creating a unique series which will captive audiences around the globe.β
Producer, Steve Jaggi
Producer Spencer McLaren says, βWeβve been fortunate to have been able to undertake projects during Covid, the team has created a safe environment in Port Douglas and weβre spoilt with the most amazing locations of natural Far North Queensland beauty.β
The Steve Jaggi Company with its impressive track record and innovative approach to creating quality film and series content for the global market, has clearly stamped its mark on the YA genre, laying claim to multiple successful films in the space including Rip Tide (Amazon Prime), Back Of The Net (Disney US, Foxtel AU) and Swimming For Gold (Universal).
DIVE CLUB has been supported by the Queensland Government through Screen Queensland and is operating under the Queensland Screen Sector COVID Safe Work Plan.
Speaker of Queensland Parliament and Member for Mulgrave Curtis Pitt confirmed the production will inject nearly $8 million into the state economy and create more than 110 jobs for local cast and crew, particularly in the Far North Queensland region.
βFar North Queensland is continuing to grow as a destination of choice for screen creatives, and we are seeing the industry move from strength to strength on the back of local skills and talent.β
Speaker of Queensland Parliament and Member for Mulgrave, Curtis Pitt
βItβs why we committed $6.8 million to develop a Far North Queensland Film Studio to further grow opportunities in our region for the development of screen content.β
Screen Queensland CEO Kylie Munnich says, βDive Club is a 100 per cent Queensland-made production and the third project by The Steve Jaggi Company that Screen Queensland has supported, including This Little Love of Mine, which also filmed in Far North Queensland.
βWith its stunning beaches, turquoise waters and unspoilt tropical locations, Port Douglas and its surrounds is the perfect place to film an adventure series like Dive Club, and we wish cast and crew all the best for a safe and happy production run in beautiful Far North Queenslandβ
Screen Queensland CEO, Kylie Munnich
Drew Jarvis, Network 10 Executive Producer β Childrens Television, said: βNetwork 10 is extremely proud to continue its commitment to entertainment for younger audiences with Dive Club, a daring series that is unlike anything we have produced for this space before. Itβs an intriguing adventure created specifically for contemporary teen viewers, and weβre confident they will seek it out across our various platforms.β
DIVE CLUB is written by Georgia Harrison, Rhiannon Bannenberg, Adrian Powers, Caera Bradshaw and Claire Harris. The Producers are Steve Jaggi and Spencer McLaren, with Kelly Son Hing and Kylie Pascoe Co-Producing.
Made by The Steve Jaggi Company, DIVE CLUB is a Netflix and Network 10 co-production, with support from Screen Australia and Screen Queensland.
ABOUT THE FILM:
According to legend, the waters around Cape Mercy are the resting place for hordes of treasure in rusting shipwrecks. Though Dive Club have only ever found family heirlooms dropped from pleasure cruisers travelling the busy route between Cape Mercy and the mainland.
Once a week, 16-year-olds Maddie, Lauren, Anna and Stevie slip into wetsuits, strap on their tanks and disappear beneath the crystal blue waters. Skilled divers, Dive Club have returned many expensive and sentimental keepsakes resigned to the deep blue sea to their sometimes glamorous, always thankful, owners.
But that was before cyclone Alexei battered Cape Mercy and rendered the town without power, communication, and access to the only road to the mainland. As the town begins a cleanup,
Chief Rose discovers his only daughter Lauren and her small boat missing. After ten days, the loss of Lauren seems inevitable, and Dive Club are struggling to accept the fate of their adventurous leader and loving friend.
This is the scene that awaits Izzie and her father John, an engineer, who arrive as part of the clean-up team. Before the day is over, Izzie will forge a friendship with the remaining members of Dive Club, and together they make a discovery that raises concerning questions about Laurenβs disappearance, spurring an investigation of their own.
