Invisible Boys first look: TV series shot in Perth and Geraldton gets February 13 release date and trailer

A trailer has been released for Invisible Boys, the television series shot in Perth and Geraldton last year.

Invisible Boys, a 10-part series based on the award-winning novel by WA author Holden Sheppard, will premiere on Stan this February 13.

Adapted for the screen by Logie Award-winning creator/director Nicholas Verso, it stars well-known faces Pia Miranda and David Lyons as well as a cast of emerging young talent, including Joseph Zada (East of Eden), Aydan Calafiore (The Voice 2018), Zach Blampied (New Gold Mountain) and Joe Klocek (Territory), who play the teens at the heart of the story.

Verso, who spent several months in WA during production for the series, says Gerladton was “super welcoming” to the cast and crew while they were filming in the Northern coastal town.

“They made us feel at home — especially the donut stand on the foreshore in Geraldton, given the amount of money I was sinking into them every day,” he joked.

The town plays a major role in the story — before filming commenced, producers spent time delving into Geraldton’s “rich racial and cultural tapestry” to flesh out their story.

“I drew inspiration from Geraldton’s prominent Italian migrant community, particularly for the Calogero family (the fictional family in the series),” Verso said.

“There’s also a notable Vietnamese presence, which influenced the character of Nat.

“Furthermore, the Yamaji people — whose land we are on — shaped the stories of (characters) Hammer, Karla and Doris.

“These diverse cultural elements interweave to enrich the narrative.”

The series is written by a writing team that included Enoch Mailangi, Walkley Award-winning writer Allan Clarke and Artistic Director of Griffin Theatre Declan Greene, with Sheppard also sitting in on the writer’s room.

“The show starts off very faithful to the book and then to really honour the screen versions of these characters and to make it feel contemporary and authentic, we did have to go off in some new directions,” Verso said.

“But I think that’s very thrilling for an audience as a word-for-word retread of a book would just result in a reductive piece of art and a waste of resources.”

The cast also includes Shareena Clanton (Wentworth), Myles Pollard (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), Elaine Crombie (Top of the Lake), Hayley McElhinney (How to Please a Woman, Doctor Doctor), Steve Le Marquand (Population 11) and Khan Chittenden (Underbelly), as well as WA actor, Mercy Cornwall, who returned West for filming.

“I think we remained very faithful to the spirit and essence of this book as well as the experiences of gay teens in regional Australia,” Verso said.

Invisible Boys will premiere on Thursday February 13 on Stan.