MYSTIC cast announced
10 March 2020:
Libertine Pictures & Slim Film + Television announced the cast for their major new drama currently filming in Auckland
Filming is currently underway in Auckland on the Libertine Pictures (NZ) and Slim Film + Television (UK), production of a major new family thriller Mystic for CBBC (UK), TVNZ (NZ) and Seven (Australia).
Production today announced an outstanding New Zealand cast including Phil Brown (The Brokenwood Mysteries, American Playboy), Jacqueline Joe (Top of the Lake), Kirk Torrance (The Dead Lands, Outrageous Fortune), Cathy Downes (Winter of Our Dreams, Shortland Street) and Jonny Brugh (What We Do In The Shadows, 800 Words) who are joined by British actors Macey Chipping (Holby City, Vampire Academy) and Laura Patch (After Life, Bad Mother) in the 13 x 30” family drama based on best-selling author Stacy Gregg’s the Pony Club Secrets.
Also joining the cast are teen New Zealand newcomers Antonia Robinson, Max Crean, Josh Tan and Harriet Walton.
Caption for photo above: Antonia Robinson (playing Natasha), Max Crean (playing Dan), Kirk Torrance (playing Tom), Harriet Walton (playing Stella), Joshua Tan (playing Caleb) and Jacqueline Joe (playing Caroline) in Mystic (Photographer: Matt Klitscher / © Libertine Pictures Limited and Slim Film + Television Limited 2020)
Mystic is set in the fictional peninsula of Kauri Point, New Zealand where new girl Issie Brown (Macey Chipping), having recently moved to the quiet, backwater town from London with her mother Amanda (Laura Patch) is struggling to fit in. Desperately missing her pals back home, a chance encounter with a beautiful wild pony Blaze, and an enigmatic stallion, Mystic, awakens an unexpected and surprising interest in horses and introduces Issie to a group of horse-mad teenagers. When an industrial development threatens to destroy their community, their way of life and the landscape they love, the teenagers must find a way to save Kauri Point from environmental disaster.
Libertine Pictures and Slim Film + Television, the high end, international drama specialist, have secured a major commission for Mystic from CBBC, Seven and TVNZ.
Based on the Pony Club Secrets books by best-selling author, Stacy Gregg, Mystic is a character-driven thriller for a family audience. Whilst enjoying the fundamental themes of friendship, growing up and self-discovery, the drama also tackles head-on the key issue for young people today: what are we doing to our planet and is it too late to save it? New Zealand’s beautiful landscape will play a major part in bringing all these themes into sharp relief.
The drama follows a group of horse-mad teenagers who are regulars at their local stables on the fictional peninsula of Kauri Point, New Zealand. New girl, Issie, is struggling to make friends having recently moved out to the quiet, backwater town from London but an unexpected interest in horses, a surprising bond with wild pony, Blaze, and a mysterious stallion, Mystic, keep her interest long enough to stop her from running away yet again.
Meanwhile, worrying incidents surrounding a new industrial development prove the catalyst to a series of events that means Issie and her fellow riders – Dan, Caleb, Caroline, Stella and Natasha – have to risk everything, and challenge all they know in Kauri Point, in order to save their horses, their community and all they love about where they live. With its great cast of characters across all ages, the show will be thrilling, warm, funny, and not afraid to explore the complex relationship between teenage ideals and the adult world of how to make a living.
Mystic has a top team of writers from the UK and New Zealand lead by showrunners Amy Shindler and Beth Chalmers whose credits include creating comedies Pat & Cabbage for ITV and Pauline Pepys’ Dowry for Radio 4, writing on hit shows My Family (BBC One), Threesome (Comedy Central) and Horrible Histories (CBBC) as well as a number of projects for several networks in the US. Writing alongside Shindler and Chalmers will be Scott Payne (The Worst Witch), Yero Timi-Biu (The Dumping Ground), Sam Shore (Filthy Rich), author Steph Matuku (Whetū Toa and the Magician), Kate McDermott (Go Girls) and Stacy Gregg, author of the Pony Club Secrets series.
Mystic, a 13 x 30’ drama, is a co-commission by the UK’s children’s channel, CBBC, Seven Network in Australia and TVNZ (New Zealand) with investment from NZ On Air, and starts shooting in New Zealand in January 2020. This commission, a co-production between Slim Film + Television and Libertine Pictures, follows Slim’s announcement in March of their epic, new eight-part adaptation of the Jules Verne classic, Around the World in 80 Days, for the European Alliance of France Télévisions, ZDF and RAI with the Seven Network.
MD of Slim and executive producer, Simon Crawford Collins, says: “We are really proud to be making this ground-breaking children’s drama for such a top flight of international broadcasters whose combined involvement enables us to deliver this series on an epic scale. Over the last 12 months, children have shown the world that they are willing to stand up and tackle the really big issues that adults have continuously shied away from.
“Stacey Gregg’s brilliant and much loved book series, in the hands of Amy and Beth’s bold adaptation, is set to the backdrop of this passion and delivers it with gorgeous characters, complex morals, loads of excitement and yet still manages to be very funny!”
Richard Fletcher, MD Libertine Pictures commented: “Mystic taps into themes that are so relevant to young people. It’s not just a simple story about teens who love horses; it looks at the intricate and complex relationships with their families, with each other and with the place in which they live. The intriguing, action-packed scripts are full of humour, adventure, jeopardy and joy whilst interweaving the human impact on the environmental world with the supernatural forces that are unleashed by it. It is very exciting to bring these iconic books to the screen.”
Mystic is a Slim Film + Television and Libertine Pictures production for CBBC, Seven Network, TVNZ and NZ On Air and is distributed by Kew Media. Executive producers are Simon Crawford Collins for Slim Film + Television, Richard Fletcher for Libertine Pictures and Amy Buscombe for CBBC. Further details of casting to be announced in due course.
____
About Libertine Pictures
Libertine Pictures is an independent film and television production company founded in 2013, based in New Zealand and led by accomplished producer Richard Fletcher and internationally-acclaimed writer Neil Cross. Libertine produces bold and compelling feature films, documentaries and television drama. It works with established storytellers and filmmakers and nurtures emerging talent. Libertine’s aim is to inspire, challenge and innovate. It is passionate about bringing powerful and distinctive stories to the screen.
About Slim Film + Television
Slim is a specialist drama production company based in the heart of London and committed to making the very best dramas for the UK and international market. Recent production announcements include the new eight-part adaptation of the Jules Verne classic, Around the World in 80 Days, for the European Alliance of France Télévisions, ZDF and RAI with the Seven Network.
Under the guidance of MD Simon Crawford Collins, the company works with some of the most exciting writers in the UK, and beyond, to produce hugely entertaining, adventurous and emotional dramas that have simply great characters at their core. Simon was previously joint Managing Director at Kudos where he produced some of the most era-defining dramas of recent years including Spooks, Hustle and Ashes to Ashes.
Slim aims to continue the tradition of making platform defining television that lives long in the audiences’ memory.
Slim is backed by Seven West Media; Australia’s leading integrated media and content creation company which operates the country’s leading free-to-air television network, flagship channel, Network 7.