The Last Anniversary
CreatorSamantha Strauss
Writer
DirectorJohn Polson
Starring
Theme music composerAgnes Obel
Open theme"Riverside" by Agnes Obel
ComposerDickon Hinchliffe
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish
Num episodes6
Executive producer
ProducerLorelle Adamson
LocationNew South Wales
EditorDany Cooper
CinematographyRob Marsh
Company
NetworkBinge
First aired27 March 2025
Last aired1 May 2025

The Last Anniversary is an Australian television series. It is directed by John Polson and is an adaptation by Samantha Strauss of the Liane Moriarty novel of the same name. It is executive produced by Nicole Kidman amongst other producers. It stars Teresa Palmer, Miranda Richardson and Danielle Macdonald.

Premise

Sophie Honeywell (Palmer) inherits a house on Scribbly Gum Island from her ex-boyfriend's great-aunt Connie. However the island has many secrets.[1]

Cast and characters

Production

Development

Nicole Kidman and production partner Per Saari first discussed adapting the Liane Moriarty novel in 2019, but it only entered production in 2023. Kidman's Blossom Films produced the series with Bruna Papandrea’s Made Up Stories, and Fifth Season co-produced the project.[2] The project was overseen by Brian Walsh of Foxtel prior to his death in 2023.[3][4]

Bruna Papandrea, Jodi Matterson, and Steve Hutensky of Made Up Stories, along with Per Saari and Nicole Kidman of Blossom Films, Binge’s Alison Hurbert-Burns and Lana Greenhalgh, and John Polson, Liane Moriarty, and Samantha Strauss served as executive producers. The New South Wales government provided support for the production through the Made in NSW Fund.[5] John Polson was confirmed as the director of the series.[6]

Casting

In November 2023, it was announced that lead roles in the series would be played by Miranda Richardson, Teresa Palmer and Danielle Macdonald.[5] Also in the cast were Helen Thomson, Susan Prior, Claude Scott-Mitchell, Charlie Garber, Uli Latukefu and Jeremy Lindsay Taylor.[7]

Filming

Moriarty insisted that the novel be filmed in Australia, because according to producer Jodi Matterson the location where the book is set, on the Hawkesbury River in New South Wales, Moriarty considered to be a real character within the story.[8] Filming began in Sydney in November 2023.[9][10]

Release

The miniseries released a first-look trailer for the show during the 2025 AACTA Awards on February 7, 2025. It was shown in Australia on March 27, 2025, on Binge, with a new episode released weekly.[11][12] In October 2024, UK television rights were obtained by the BBC for iPlayer[13] while AMC was responsible for the U.S. distribution via its Sundance Now streamer.[14][15] The miniseries was premiered in the U.S. on Sunday, March 30, 2025, on AMC+, with new episodes dropping weekly on Sundays.[16][17]

Reception

Critical response

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 78% approval rating with an average rating, based on 9 critic reviews.[18] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 62 out of 100 based on 5 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[19]

References

  1. ^ Slatter, Sean (November 25, 2023). "Teresa Palmer, Miranda Richardson, Danielle Macdonald to star in Binge's 'The Last Anniversary'". if.com. Archived November 25, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  2. ^ Goldbart, Max & Whittock, Jesse (December 24, 2023). "From ‘Doctor Who’ To ‘The Count Of Monte Cristo’: Deadline’s 15 Buzzy International TV Dramas To Look Out For In 2024". Deadline Hollywood. Archived December 24, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  3. ^ Keast, Jackie (19 October 2023). "Nicole Kidman and Per Saari's Blossom Films, Made Up Stories readying 'The Last Anniversary' for Binge". if.com. Archived 19 October 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  4. ^ Gbogbo, Mawunyo (October 19, 2023). "Nicole Kidman speaks publicly for the first time about what it takes to produce a major Hollywood production". ABC News (Australia). Archived October 19, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  5. ^ Whittock, Jesse (November 24, 2023). "Teresa Palmer, Miranda Richardson, Danielle Macdonald & More Cast In Binge Series 'The Last Anniversary' From Made Up Stories, Blossom Films & Fifth Season". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 24, 2023. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  6. ^ Ma, Wenlei (October 20, 2023). "Nicole Kidman reveals new Australian project, and that time she peed in a bush". The West Australian. Archived October 20, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  7. ^ Holmes, Martin (November 24, 2023). "'The Last Anniversary': Teresa Palmer, Miranda Richardson & More to Star in Nicole Kidman-Produced Drama". TV Insider. Archived November 24, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  8. ^ Domjen, Briana (25 November 2023). "Production begins on a new giant TV hit The Last Anniversary". Dailytelegraph.com.au. Archived November 25, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  9. ^ Milligan, Bec (23 October 2023). "Everything you need to know about The Last Anniversary". Womansweekly. Archived 23 October 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  10. ^ Dalgarno, Paul (28 November 2023). "The Last Anniversary: Australian series starts production in Sydney". Screenhub. Archived 28 November 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  11. ^ Laidlaw, Kyle (7 February 2025). "WATCH | BINGE unveils first look trailer for new Australian drama THE LAST ANNIVERSARY". TV Blackbox. Archived 7 February 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 7 February 2025.
  12. ^ Estera, Christine (25 November 2023). "Stellar cast announced for new Aussie drama The Last Anniversary produced by Nicole Kidman". News.com. Archived 25 November 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  13. ^ Warner, Sam (October 10, 2024). "BBC to air The Tourist star's Australian mystery drama". Digital Spy. Archived October 10, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  14. ^ Goldbart, Max (October 10, 2024). "BBC & Sundance Now Buy Liane Moriarty Adaptation 'The Last Anniversary'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived October 10, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  15. ^ Roxborough, Scott (October 10, 2024). "BBC, Sundance Now Take Aussie Dramedy 'The Last Anniversary'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived October 10, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  16. ^ Pedersen, Erik (March 18, 2025). "2025 Premiere Dates For New & Returning Series On Broadcast, Cable & Streaming". Deadline Hollywood. Archived March 19, 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  17. ^ Gelman, Vlada (March 7, 2025). "TVLine Items: With Love, Meghan Renewed, Sugar Season 2 Castings and More". TV Line. Archived March 19, 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  18. ^ "The Last Anniversary" (tv). the_last_anniversary. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  19. ^ "The Last Anniversary" (tv). the_last_anniversary. Retrieved June 5, 2025.