Red Rocks Premiere a Secret No More

New Kiwi kidult drama Secrets at Red Rocks will air 7.30 Sundays on Sky Open from March 9 — which is when all episodes will land on Neon.

Here’s a sneak peek and here’s the media release:

Sky Open & Neon to deliver Aotearoa families an adventure-filled co-viewing experience this March with Secrets at Red Rocks

Bursting with adventure, thrills and fantasy, Sky NZ Original’s all-new live-action drama Secrets at Red Rocks will premiere on Sky Open and Neon next month.

Families can tune in to watch the series on Sky Open on Sundays at 7.30pm from 9 March, or binge it on Neon, with all episodes available to stream from this date.

A Sky NZ Originals and BYUtv (USA) co-commission made with the support of NZ On Air, Secrets at Red Rocks is a screen adaption of Kiwi author Rachael King’s award-winning novel of the same name, produced by Libertine Pictures (Mystic, Under the Vines).

Filmed on Wellington’s wild south coast, the series brings to life the Celtic myth of the selkie and transplants it into the inspiring and epic landscape of Te Whanganui-a-Tara.

It follows 12-year-old Jake as he is drawn into a world of lifechanging adventure when he finds a sealskin hidden on the rocky shores of his father’s seaside home. When unexpected dangers are unleashed, Jake is called upon to protect his family.

The series stars NZ Television Award-winner Dominic Ona-Ariki (One Lane Bridge), stage and screen veteran Jim Moriarty MNZM (Mahana) and Phoenix Connolly (The Brokenwood Mysteries), with Zeta Sutherland (Power Rangers: Dino Fury) as ‘Jessie’, and newcomer Korban Knock as ‘Jake’, and features animatronic seals created by Oscar® and BAFTA-winning visual effects and props company Wētā Workshop.

Thomas Robins, Head of Sky NZ Originals says, “Sky is incredibly proud to share this Sky NZ Originals co-commission with Aotearoa audiences.

“Libertine has created pure magic from the pages of a fabulous local novel that is sure to delight families both here in New Zealand and internationally. It is our hope that families around the country will gather to tune in and enjoy this beautiful world-class local production together.”

Executive Producer Richard Fletcher says, “It’s very exciting to bring Rachael’s iconic novel to the screen and introduce a new audience to the world of Red Rocks.

“Our extremely talented cast combined with the wealth of local creatives, as well as Wellington’s beautiful locations, has enabled us to deliver this series on an epic scale for our broadcasting partners Sky and BYUtv.

“Secrets at Red Rocks is full of adventure, mystery, jeopardy, humour and mystical creatures.  It tackles themes so relevant to young people, environmental concern, discovering inner strength, understanding family, and finding turangawaewae (belonging) in a relatable and entertaining way.

“Balancing relatable inner drama with exhilarating action and discovery we are sure it will capture the imagination of and resonate with parents and children alike.”

 Secrets at Red Rocks is helmed by Director/Producer David Stubbs (Mystic, Daffodils, Reservoir Hill) with Executive Producer Richard Fletcher (Mystic, Under the Vines, Daffodils).

The series was developed for television by Martha Hardy-Ward (Reservoir Hill, Girl vs Boy, Mystic) who leads the writing team of Steph Matuku and Gavin McGibbon. The series is a Libertine Pictures production, co-commissioned by the US network BYUtv and Sky (New Zealand), with investment from NZ On Air and is distributed by WildBrain with the New Zealand Screen Production Rebate cash-flowed by Hinterland.