GRITTY AND GRIPPING AUSTRALIAN CRIME DRAMA, "SCRUBLANDS," PREMIERES THURSDAY, MAY 2 ON SUNDANCE NOW AND AMC+

Based on Chris Hammer's Award-Winning and Bestselling Crime Novel, The Sundance Now Original Series Features Powerful Performances by Luke Arnold and Bella Heathcote

Four Stars: "a rock-solid addition to the rural noir genre, engaging from the start, all the way to a satisfyingly explosive finale." - The Guardian

"Scrublands is an engaging, well-made piece of work... " - The Sydney Morning Herald

Four Stars: "if you're after a solidly entertaining mystery, it delivers the goods." - SCREEN hub

NEW YORK - April 8, 2024 - The four-part Australian rural noir crime drama, Scrublands, premieres Thursday, May 2 on Sundance Now and AMC+, with additional episodes dropping weekly on both platforms. Based on Chris Hammer's award-winning and bestselling crime novel by the same name, the captivating series follows a country town grappling with the aftermath of a horrible crime, still trying to come to terms with it a year on.

In an isolated and struggling country town, a charismatic and dedicated priest, Father Byron Swift (Jay Ryan, Beauty and the Beast), calmly opens fire on his congregation, killing five parishioners. One year later investigative journalist Martin Scarsden (Luke Arnold, Black Sails) arrives in Riversend to write what should be a simple feature story on the anniversary of the tragedy. But when Martin's instincts kick in and he digs beneath the surface, the previously accepted narrative begins to fall apart, and he finds himself in a life and death race to uncover the truth.

Martin finds the people of Riversend deeply scarred and hostile to journalists, with local bookstore owner Mandy Bond (Bella Heathcote, Pieces of Her), Constable Robbie Haus-Jones (Adam Zwar, Top of the Lake), and widow of one of the massacre victims, Fran Landers (Victoria Thaine, Sonia & Cherry), giving him short shrift. But each have a past with Byron Swift they have kept hidden...

Scrublands, a Sundance Now Original Series, is directed by Greg McLean (Wolf Creek) and written by Felicity Packard (Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries), who also serve as a producer, Kelsey Munro (Bump) and Jock Serong. Executive producers are Michael Healy and Andy Ryan for 9Network and Cailah Scobie and Amanda Duthie for Stan. Producers are Ian Collie and Rob Gibson for Easy Tiger and David Redman. Scrublands is an Easy Tiger production, presented by Stan in association with 9Network, Vicscreen and Abacus Media Rights, who handles the international distribution.

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About Sundance Now

AMC Networks' Sundance Now offers cross-genre escapism for insightful viewers seeking fresh perspectives, thought-provoking experiences and transportive journeys to far-off places. With a rich selection of engrossing dramas and romance, imaginative fantasy, gripping mysteries, to riveting true crime and intelligent thrillers, Sundance Now programming features empowered characters telling one-of-a-kind of stories from around the world - all streaming commercial-free. Sundance Now houses critically-acclaimed and award-winning original and streaming exclusive series including popular supernatural thriller A Discovery of Witches (Matthew Goode, Teresa Palmer), multi-Emmy winner State of the Union (Rosamund Pike, Chris O'Dowd; Patricia Clarkson, Brendan Gleeson), recent breakout dark comedies SisterS (Sarah Goldberg, Susan Stanley) and Totally, Completely Fine (Thomasin McKenzie), glamourous coastal drama Riviera (Julia Stiles), British true crime thriller Des (David Tennant), French spy drama The Bureau, Australian psychological thriller The Secrets She Keeps (Laura Carmichael), acclaimed Swedish drama The Restaurant, Motherland (Anna Maxwell Martin, Lucy Punch, Joanna Lumley), and Total Control (Rachel Griffiths, Deborah Mailman), to name a few; alongside riveting true crime series including Dating Death, The Heiress and the Heist and the True Crime Story franchise. Sundance Now can be enjoyed for $6.99/month or $4.99/month with an annual membership. No cable subscription is needed. Facebook: @SundanceNow - Twitter: @sundance_now

About AMC+

AMC+ is the company's premium streaming bundle featuring an extensive lineup of popular and critically acclaimed original programming from AMC, BBC America, IFC, and SundanceTV and full access to targeted streaming services Shudder, Sundance Now and IFC Films Unlimited, which feature content such as A Discovery of Witches, Creepshow, and Boyhood. The service features a continually refreshed library of commercial-free content, with iconic series from the AMC Networks portfolio including Mad Men, Halt & Catch Fire, Hell on Wheels, Turn: Washington's Spies, Rectify, Portlandia, Orphan Black and series from The Walking Dead Universe, among many others. The service also offers a growing slate of original and exclusive series including Gangs of London, Dark Winds, and the first two series in a new Anne Rice universe, Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire and Anne Rice's Mayfair Witches. With new movies released every Friday, AMC+ is the newest destination for exclusive film premieres direct from theaters all year long. AMC+ is available in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Spain and is available in the U.S. through AMCPlus.com, the AMC+ app, and a number of digital and cable partners.