Eric Bana to Star in Netflix Limited Series ‘Untamed’ From Mark L. Smith, Elle Smith (EXCLUSIVE)
By Joe Otterson
Netflix has ordered the limited series “Untamed” with Erica Bana attached to star, Variety has learned exclusively.
The six-episode series hails from writers Mark L. Smith and his daughter, Elle Smith. The series is described as a character driven mystery thriller in which Bana plays Eric Inman, “a special agent for the National Parks Service who works to enforce human law in nature’s vast wilderness. The investigation of a brutal death sends Inman on a collision course with the dark secrets within the park, and in his own past.”
Along with the Smiths, Bana is also an executive producer on the series. John Wells and Erin Jontow also executive produce via John Wells Productions, as do Todd Black and Tony Shaw for Escape Artists Entertainment, Steve Lee Jones for Bee Holder Productions, and Cliff Roberts for Syndicate Entertainment. Warner Bros. Television, where John Wells Productions is under an overall deal, is the studio.
Bana is primarily known for his film roles, though he has previously starred in shows like “Dirty John” for Bravo in 2018 and Australian shows like “Full Frontal” and “Something in the Air” early in his career. In film, Bana has starred in major productions like “Munich,” “Troy,” Ang Lee’s “Hulk,” “Black Hawk Down,” and JJ Abrams’ “Star Trek” among may others.
He is repped by WME, Lauren Bergman Management, and Sloane Offer.
“Untamed” is the third Netflix series order for Mark L. Smith. He is also penning the Wild West drama “American Primeval” and a series adaptation of the novel “The 39 Steps” starring Benedict Cumberbatch. Smith also wrote the film “The Midnight Sky” directed by and starring George Clooney, which was released on Netflix in 2020. He has also written films like “The Revenant” and “The Boys in the Boat,” the latter of which saw him reteam with Clooney.
Elle Smith made her feature writing debut when she co-wrote the film “The Marsh King’s Daughter” with her father, which was based on the novel of the same name by Karen Dionne.
Mark is repped by CAA, Syndicate Entertainment, and the Law Offices of Mark S. Temple. Elle is repped by Artists First and the Law Offices of Mark S. Temple