Mediawan Rights is positioning this as a prestige acquisition—their CEO Sally Habbershaw praised the 'alchemy' of See-Saw's track record, Weaving's casting, and an 'original feel-good concept.' Disney+ commitment gives the project international legitimacy.
Insiders note Mediawan has been pushing harder into financing earlier in production cycles. The company pointed to recent wins like BBC hit 'Riot Women' and Canneseries closer 'California Avenue'—this deal signals they're becoming a bigger player in packaging high-profile scripted projects before they even wrap filming.
Filming began June 2, 2026, in Sydney with an August 31 wrap date scheduled. The six-part series is produced by See-Saw Films (Mediawan-owned), created by playwright Ange Betzien, and executive produced by Liz Watts, Emile Sherman, Iain Canning, Helen Gregory, and Hugo Weaving himself.
See-Saw Films keeps stacking wins—'The Great White' gives them another prestige vehicle while Mediawan Rights flexes its growing influence in international pre-sales. The question is whether a dog-on-death-row premise can sustain six episodes without jumping the shark.
Disney+ has officially picked up "The Great White" for the U.K., securing the streaming rights to See-Saw Films' upcoming legal workplace drama headlined by none other than Hugo Weaving. The six-part series, produced in partnership with ABC Australia and Mediawan Rights, centers on Weaving's character Alan Armstrong—a brilliant but disgraced barrister who finds himself representing a dog on death row. Yes, you read that correctly.
The premise alone is wild enough to generate buzz, but when you factor in See-Saw's track record (they're the team behind "Slow Horses") and Weaving's first major television leading role in years, this acquisition carries some serious weight. The deal positions Mediawan Rights—Mediawan's global sales arm—as a increasingly influential player in international scripted content. According to Variety's reporting, the company has been carving out a more hands-on role in financing and packaging projects earlier in their development cycles.
Their CEO Sally Habbershaw called Weaving's casting and "a brilliantly original feel-good concept" the driving forces behind Disney+'s commitment in the U.K., with additional international sales expected to follow. A major German broadcaster is also expected to be announced shortly, suggesting this series is already generating serious bidding wars across multiple territories. Filming kicked off in Sydney at the beginning of June and is scheduled to wrap by the end of August 2026, giving production a tight but manageable timeline for a six-episode limited series.
The creative team reads like a who's-who of Australian and international talent: Samantha Lang, whose film work has played at Cannes, originated and developed the project alongside playwright Ange Betzien, who created the series. Alyssa McClelland ("Sex Education," "Amandaland") is serving as set-up director, while Mia Wasikowska makes her television directing debut on the project. The supporting cast includes Eamon Farren, Arlo Green, Miranda Otto (fresh from "Talk to Me"), and Sacha Horler—solid Australian depth that suggests See-Saw isn't cutting corners on talent.
The premise is undeniably quirky: a disgraced legal mind redemption arc through animal advocacy sounds more like a network comedy than prestige drama. But that's exactly the kind of unconventional hook that can cut through streaming saturation—if it lands. "Feel-good" and "legal drama" aren't typically bedfellows, but if anyone can thread that needle, it's See-Saw Films under Mediawan's growing umbrella. We'll see if Disney+ has a hit on its hands—or another ambitious gamble that fizzles out before season two.
