Netflix maps out 2026 ANZ slate, doubling down on local stories and global scale

Netflix has lifted the curtain on its 2026 slate for Australia and New Zealand, outlining a mix of local originals, returning series and globally scaled productions filmed across the region.

The showcase signals Netflix’s ongoing dual strategy in ANZ: commissioning culturally specific local stories while positioning Australia and New Zealand as key production hubs for international projects.

Leading the next phase is Amanda Duthie, recently appointed content director for ANZ, who will oversee Netflix’s local commissioning from 2026 onward.

“Throughout my career, I’ve seen that local stories resonate most powerfully when they’re deeply specific, true to a character, a community or a moment in time,” Duthie said.

The local slate includes the third and final season of Heartbreak High, premiering March 25, alongside a series adaptation of Miles Franklin’s My Brilliant Career, filmed in South Australia.

Netflix also confirmed Allen, a feature film from Ludo Studio, the creators of Bluey, and Breakers, the first Netflix series shot on the Western Australian coastline. The series, led by Antony Starr, explores power, loyalty and belonging within a fictional surf community. Alongside homegrown productions, Netflix highlighted a pipeline of global titles filmed in Australia and New Zealand.

These include War Machine, directed by Victorian filmmaker Patrick Hughes, wilderness thriller Apex starring Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton, and The Mosquito Bowl, a World War II drama shot on the Gold Coast.

New Zealand continues to feature prominently as a location for international storytelling, with East of Eden and animated series Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 produced locally.

Duthie said the regional slate reflects the interplay between local storytelling and global production economics.

“Our region plays a unique dual role as both the home of powerful local stories and a production base for ambitious global projects, and those two realities strengthen each other,” she said.

For the broader screen industry, Netflix pointed to its investment in workforce development and capability building.

Since 2021, Netflix says it has invested more than AU$10 million across Australia and New Zealand through paid placements, training and development initiatives targeting emerging and underrepresented practitioners.

The figure, while modest relative to content budgets, underscores the platform’s focus on skills pipelines amid ongoing competition for production talent and studio capacity.

“These stories are all made possible by world-class Australian creativity, and the skills developed on productions like these directly benefit the local industry,” Duthie said.

The announcement comes as global streamers intensify their localisation strategies, balancing subscriber growth pressures with regulatory scrutiny around domestic content quotas and industry contribution.