Portia Stanton-Noble’s debut novel The Big Dead Dry is now in development as a feature film with Australian production company 13th Street Films. A mystery with a dash of romance and a cast of quirky locals — yes, please!
Australian Estonian author Portia Stanton-Noble has confirmed that her novel The Big Dead Dry is now in development as a feature film with 13th Street Films. If you like your crime with a side of romance and regional oddness, this is exciting news for you. The characters sure sound like they were made for the screen.
Set in the fictional regional South Australian town of Brumby Flat, The Big Dead Dry drops a newcomer, Raquel Willaston, straight into a community where secrets travel faster than gossip at the post office. A mysterious stranger arrives — and is soon found dead at the base of the town silos — kicking off an investigation led by Senior Detective Phillip Duncan.
The novel’s world is packed with quirky characters (the kind you definitely recognise if you’ve ever lived in, visited, or driven through an Australian country town). They include a silo mural painter with a mysterious edge, a vintage-loving local reliving the past, an ex-military man running on precision, a flirtatious postmistress, and a shop selling rain gear in a town stuck in drought.
About the author
Portia Stanton-Noble was born and raised in Melbourne to Estonian parents who migrated to Australia after World War II, and she now lives in regional South Australia — the kind of background that makes many HEIA readers go, “Yep, one of us.”
Portia’s novel The Big Dead Dry is the first in a four-book murder mystery romance comedy series. The second book, Pretty Dead Ordinary, returns to Brumby Flat when a wedding celebration turns sinister and Detective Duncan finds himself under suspicion.
The third book, Drop Dead Like Flies, shifts the drama to a nearby national park and a folk festival anniversary where old grief and fresh danger collide.
And then comes the finale: Dead Goes the Neighbourhood, where a “next door” town, a travelling circus, and a fresh wave of murders drag Detective Duncan back into the chaos — sequins, sparkles and all.
Outside the Brumby Flat world, Portia has also released the rom-com The Life She Never Had and the murder mystery The Cut Off Road. Her most recent title A Body Came Ashore has received a Bronze book cover award from the Wickham St George Book Cover Awards.
Who are 13th Street Films?
13th Street Films is led by Brisbane-based filmmakers Sian and Joel, who met while studying film and screen media and later joined forces to build the company together. Their track record spans comedy, thriller and genre work, and they’ve been steadily racking up development, festival and industry momentum. For example, they co-founded the Brisbane Indie Film Festival.
13th Street Films created the six-part POV web series Socially Distant (which screened at Melbourne Web Fest), co-directed and produced the short thriller OUTPOST (Darwin International Film Festival), and produced and directed Voyager as a proof-of-concept project. On top of that slate, their current project list includes Welcome to Wrigleton (a mockumentary comedy about a country town on the brink), and Filthy Habit (a feature film with an… let’s say a bold premise involving a nun exploring some sins).
What happens next
At this stage, the project is described as in development, with casting and further announcements to come. If you love seeing Australian landscapes and offbeat small-town stories make the leap from book to screen, and supporting Australian Estonian authors, keep this on your radar.
Portia shared her excitement about the film adaptation:
“I’m thrilled that The Big Dead Dry is being developed into a feature film by 13th Street Films. It’s an incredible opportunity to showcase the beauty of South Australia while bringing the story’s intrigue, comedy and drama to life.”
Congratulations, Portia! We’re excited about this film. We’re also looking forward to your next books.
Acknowledgement
Thank you to Portia Stanton-Noble for the information and photo.
Read more
About Portia Stanton-Noble (website) and social media (@portiastantonnobleauthor)
About 13th Street Films (website) and social media (@13thstreetfilms)
