Travis Fimmel, Simon Baker to star in Netflix's 'Boy Swallows Universe'

Sept. 1 (UPI) -- Netflix has announced that production began this week in Australia on its adaptation of Trent Dalton's novel, Boy Swallows Universe.

The eight-part drama is about a 12-year-old boy and his mute brother trying to survive with few positive adult role models in a 1983 working-class suburb of Brisbane.

It will star Travis Fimmel from Vikings and Simon Baker from The Mentalist.

The cast will also include Phoebe Tonkin, Felix Cameron, Lee Tiger Halley, Bryan Brown, Anthony LaPaglia and Sophie Wilde.

John Collee -- whose credits include Master and Commander, Happy Feet and Hotel Mumbai -- is writing the limited series.