Adapted from Trent Dalton’s iconic Australian novel, Boy Swallows Universe explores the crossroads where a boy becomes a man, good toys with evil, and the everyday meets the extraordinary.
What is Boy Swallows Universe about?
Coming to Netflix on 11 January, this is an epic coming-of-age story set in 1980s Brisbane that blends the magic and innocence of youth with the brutal reality of the adult world. A lost father, a mute brother, a recovering addict mum, a heroin dealer for a stepfather, and a notorious criminal for a babysitter. Eli Bell is just trying to follow his heart and understand what it means to become a good man, but fate keeps throwing obstacles in his way.
Who stars in Boy Swallows Universe?
- Travis Fimmel (Vikings, Warcraft, Raised by Wolves, Black Snow) plays Lyle Orlik
- Simon Baker (The Mentalist, Breath, High Ground) plays Robert Bell
- Phoebe Tonkin (Babylon, Kid Snow, Transfusion, Westworld) plays Frances Bell
- Felix Cameron (Penguin Bloom) plays Eli Bell
- Lee Tiger Halley (The Heights, Featherweight) plays Gus Bell
- Bryan Brown (Cocktail, Breaker Morant, Two Hands and Palm Beach) plays Slim Halliday
- Anthony LaPaglia (Nitram, Florida Man, Without a Trace) plays Tytus Broz
- Sophie Wilde (You Don’t Know Me, The Portable Door, Tom Jones) plays Caitlyn Spies
- Christopher James Baker (True Detective, Ozark, New Gold Mountain) plays Ivan Kroll
- HaiHa Le (Hungry Ghost, Back to the Rafters, Hardball) plays Bich Dang
- Deborah Mailman (Offspring, The Sapphires) as Poppy Birkbeck
- Ben O’Toole (Hacksaw Ridge, Detroit, Bloody Hell, The Water Diviner) as Teddy
- Zachary Wan (Never Too Late, The Unlisted) as Darren Dang
- Millie Donaldson as 17 year old Shelley Huffman
- Eloise Rothfield as 13 year old Shelley Huffman
When does Boy Swallows Universe release?
The adaptation releases on 11 January 2024.
Where can I watch Boy Swallows Universe?
The 8 part series can be watched globally on Netflix.
Phoebe Tonkin as Frances Bell in Boy Swallows Universe S1. 
Phoebe Tonkin as Frances Bell, Travis Fimmel as Lyle Orlik in Boy Swallows Universe S1. 
Felix Cameron as Eli Bell, Phoebe Tonkin as Frances Bell in Boy Swallows Universe S1 
Lee Halley as Gus Bell, Bryan Brown as Slim Halliday, Felix Cameron as Eli Bell in Boy Swallows Universe S1. 
Travis Fimmel as Lyle Orlik, Phoebe Tonkin as Frances Bell in Boy Swallows Universe S1. 
Simon Baker as Robert Bell in Boy Swallows Universe S1.
