RIVETING NEW ZEALAND DRAMA FAR NORTH PREMIERES WITH TWO EPISODES ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15 ON SUNDANCE NOW AND AMC+

Sundance Now Original Tells the Extraordinary Story of How an Ordinary Couple Foiled an International Crime Ring in the Pacific

NEW YORK – January 23, 2024 – The Sundance Now Original Series Far North is set to premiere with two episodes on Thursday, February 15 on Sundance Now and AMC+, with additional episodes dropping weekly on both platforms. The six-episode drama tells the (mostly) true story of how the most comically inept gang to ever join forces got half a billion dollars’ worth of meth to New Zealand shores – and nearly to market. And they would have got away with it too if it wasn’t for a pesky 70-year-old Māori diesel mechanic and his aqua-aerobics instructing wife…

Diesel mechanic Ed (Temuera Morrison, The Mandalorian, My Life Is Murder) and his aqua-aerobics instructor wife Heather (Robyn Malcolm, Blackbird, My Life Is Murder) lead a quiet life with their beloved dogs in the Far North. As a Tongan-Australian gang’s lucrative drug deal with a global cartel goes awry, they’re left stranded with 500kg of meth and a boatload of lies. They unwittingly involve the ordinary Kiwi couple Ed and Heather in their increasingly desperate pursuit of their ultimate payday. Amidst the absurdity, Ed and Heather have to navigate treacherous waters, hoping to both thwart the gang and survive the ludicrous ordeal.

Far North is a saga of screw-ups, as everyday people strive to foil an international drug cartel’s largest-ever drug deal in the Pacific; the cops’ trip themselves up; and gangsters chase a payday with zero discretion – leaving a trail of wreckage you can see from space.

Additional cast includes Fay Tofilau (Beyond the Veil) as Blaze, Mosa Alipate Latailakepa (Wellington Paranormal) as Thugga, Villa Junior Lemanu (Sharkdog) as Louie, Maaka Pohatu (Wellington Paranormal) as Stevie, John Paul (JP) Foliaki (Red, White & Brass) as Mack, Albert Mateni (Brutal Lives) as Gravel, Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi (Red, White & Brass) as Tall Guy, Fei Li (Island of Yesterday) as Cai, Dennis Zhang (Buzz Cut) as Sam, Xiao Hu (Hu Die Lan) as Jin, Xana Tang (Mulan) as Bi, Louise Jiang (Good Grief) as Ling, and Nikita Tu-Bryant (Avatar: The Way of Water) as Hui.

Far North, a Sundance Now Original Series, is written, directed and executive produced by David White (This Town, Meat). Kelly Martin and Sally Campbell also serve as executive producers. It’s produced by South Pacific Pictures and White Balance Pictures. All3Media handles the international distribution.
 

EPISODE DESCRIPTIONS

Episode 1 – Premieres Thursday, February 15 on Sundance Now and AMC+
Ordinary Kiwi couple Ed and Heather have no idea their lives are about to change when strangers arrive in the Far North. Meanwhile a ship sets out from Hong Kong, carrying precious cargo and a Tongan-Australian gang land in Aotearoa for a once in a lifetime drug deal.

Episode 2 – Premieres Thursday, February 15 on Sundance Now and AMC+
The stranded crew ration their remaining food and water carefully, while waiting to be rescued. Drug boss Cai arrives in New Zealand and the gang reach out to Ed for help.

Episode 3 – Premieres Thursday, February 22 on Sundance Now and AMC+
The gang’s attempt to launch a rescue mission ends in disaster, the stranded crew face more dangerous days ahead without any drinking water and Ed and Heather make a shocking discovery.

Episode 4 – Premieres Thursday, February 29 on Sundance Now and AMC+
Ed and Heather collect evidence of the gang’s suspicious activity, tensions rise between the gang and the Chinese and Captain Jin makes a grim deal with Cai.

Episode 5 – Premieres Thursday, March 7 on Sundance Now and AMC+
The rescue boat finally launches successfully with much needed fresh water for the dying crew, the gang bring in the laundry and Ed and Heather do what they can to derail the drug deal.

Episode 6 – Premieres Thursday, March 14 on Sundance Now and AMC+
Ed and Heather confront the cops, the gang check-in to a campground to lie low and Captain Jin and her crew face a devastating loss.
 

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.