With so many twists and turns throughout its six season run, you might wonder whether Animal Kingdom is based on a true story. The show — thankfully — is a work of fiction, but it’s based on a 2010 Australian movie by the same name.
Set in Melbourne, Australia, the theatrical version of Animal Kingdom was written and directed by David Michôd and stars James Frecheville (Joshua "J" Cody), Ben Mendelsohn (Pope), Joel Edgerton (Baz), Luke Ford (Darren), Sullivan Stapleton (Craig), Jacki Weaver (Smurf) and Guy Pearce as Detective Nathan Leckie.
The movie’s premise is roughly the same as the series, albeit pulled together into one hour and 53 minutes instead of six seasons. J’s mother dies so he goes to live with his estranged family. What he doesn’t realize is that his family is one of the most dangerous crime families around and getting pulled into their world is his only chance to survive.
Take a look at the movie’s trailer:
In the series, the Cody family is played by Finn Cole (J), Shawn Hatosy (Pope), Ben Robson (Craig), Jake Weary (Deran), Scott Speedman (Baz) and Ellen Barkin as Smurf.
Here’s the show’s trailer:
As you can see, the Animal Kingdom series borrows heavily from its cinematic predecessor; the names of the Cody family are the same (with the exception of a spelling difference between Darren and Deran) as is the general plot revolving around a crime family and its diabolical matriarch. Thanks to the format, though, the show has a lot more real estate available to explore the complex relationships between the characters and the pervasive influence that Smurf wields upon her sons.
Unlike the movie, though, the Animal Kingdom series is set in Oceanside, Calif., a bustling beach town in the northernmost part of San Diego County. Thanks to San Diego’s proximity to the Mexican border and with Los Angeles less than 100 miles away, the show is able to expand the action beyond Oceanside’s borders to its surrounding areas, giving Smurf and her boys a bountiful harvest of lucrative job opportunities.
The movie and the series share a stark brutality. In both versions, Smurf is conniving and merciless, pulling the strings at every turn. The series gives Ellen Barkin (and Leila George, who plays a younger Smurf) space to show the full extent of Smurf’s manipulation and it’s absolutely chilling. Jacki Weaver's movie version earned the actress an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress, introducing her to most US audiences.
In an interview with What to Watch, star Jasper Polish (young Julia) told us that the Animal Kingdom finale was "heartbreaking" because viewers finally see how far Smurf went to destroy her daughter’s life and set Pope’s life into a downward spiral.
Given that the movie inspired a series, it’s safe to say there’s plenty of interest in the Cody family. Though the death toll in the Animal Kingdom series finale was high, the possibility of a spinoff lingers under the right set of circumstances.
If you haven’t caught up with Animal Kingdom, the first five seasons are available for free in the US on Prime Video with the option to purchase season 6 episodes. UK viewers have the option to purchase or rent episodes through Prime Video or Apple TV. Season 6 is available to US viewers only with a cable subscription through TNT or the TNT app. If you’ve cut the cord you can watch TNT through YouTube TV, Sling TV, Hulu with Live TV or DirecTV Stream. Season 6 is not available to watch in the UK yet.
You can watch the Animal Kingdom movie through Hulu, Prime Video and Paramount Plus.
