Yellowstone star Jacki Weaver joins ITV’s twisty new crime drama Two Birds
Jacki Weaver is stepping into the centre of a new murder mystery.
The Oscar-nominated Australian actress has joined Sheridan Smith in Two Birds, ITV’s upcoming six-part crime thriller set against the stark landscape of Western Australia. Weaver will play Mrs Baxter, the formidable matriarch of a notorious local crime family, in a story filled with murder, secrecy and dangerous divided loyalties.
The first-look images released by ITV offer a glimpse of Smith as British police constable Izzie Cornwell, Weaver as Mrs Baxter and Stephen Peacocke as Izzie’s boss, homicide detective Matt.
Weaver is replacing Judy Davis, who was originally announced for the role but has since left the production because of scheduling conflicts.
What is Two Birds about?
The six-part series follows Constable Izzie Cornwell, played by Sheridan Smith, as she leaves the UK for a new beginning in the remote Australian mining town of Dugdale.
A fresh start, however, proves difficult almost immediately. Following a disastrous misstep, Izzie becomes caught up in a murder investigation and finds herself trapped in an increasingly dangerous web of deceit and guilt.
The investigation eventually puts her directly against Mrs Baxter, the powerful head of a notorious local crime family. While Izzie tries to uncover the truth surrounding the case, Mrs Baxter is equally determined to protect her family and discover what really happened.
The series is set and filmed in Western Australia, with production taking place in Perth and Kalgoorlie. The remote mining-town setting forms an important part of the show’s atmosphere, placing the murder mystery against the distinctive landscape of Australia’s red-earth country.
Screen Australia lists the series as six 47-minute episodes and describes it as a crime, law-and-order drama and thriller.
Jacki Weaver takes over the role of Mrs Baxter
Weaver’s casting marks a change from the original plans for the series. Judy Davis had previously been attached to play Mrs Baxter, but departed because of scheduling conflicts.
Weaver is an Academy Award-nominated actress whose credits include Silver Linings Playbook, Animal Kingdom and Yellowstone. She now takes on one of the drama’s central figures as Mrs Baxter, a fiercely protective crime-family matriarch.
Alongside Weaver and Smith, Stephen Peacocke plays homicide detective Matt, Izzie’s new boss. Peacocke is known for Five Bedrooms and The Newsreader.
Colin Friels has also joined the cast. The wider ensemble includes Fiona Button, Eva Morgan, Harry Greenwood, Nic Cassim, Victoria Fowler, Lila McGuire, Kit Jeakings-Bull, Matthew Pearce, Sarah Roberts and Matt Day.
A murder mystery with plenty of twists
ITV has described Two Birds as a thriller driven by mystery, danger and human drama.
ITV Drama Commissioner Callum Dziedzic previously described the series as a “propulsive, twisty thriller with real humanity” and said Sheridan Smith was well suited to the role of Izzie, bringing warmth and depth to the character.
The story comes from Helen FitzGerald, whose previous work includes The Cry, and Megan Palinkas, known for Heartbreak High. The series is directed by James Griffiths, whose credits include The Ballad of Wallis Island, and Corrie Chen, director of Good Cop/Bad Cop.
The production comes from AC Chapter One, with Martha Coleman producing through Third Act Stories. Two Birds is a co-production between ITV and Australia’s Stan, with the series supported by Screenwest and the Western Australian Production Attraction Incentive.
When will Two Birds air?
Two Birds is scheduled for ITV and ITVX in the UK, while the Australian series is being produced with Stan. The international distribution is being handled by ITV Studios.
ITV has not yet announced a release date.
No official trailer for Two Birds was available on YouTube in the sources checked, although ITV has released the first-look images ahead of the series’ eventual premiere.