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Mischa Barton Joins Resurrected Cult Australian Soap ‘Neighbours’ as Guest Star
Having already been brought back from the dead, Australian soap Neighbours has now added a star name from another sun-soaked TV hit to its cast.
Mischa Barton — who broke out in The O.C. — has joined the new chapter of Fremantle’s cult show, which has now officially started production just over a year after it looked like it was finished for good after 37 years when key U.K. partner Channel 5 pulled out. Several months later — and after a supposed final episode aired (one featuring many of Neighbours‘ former stars, including Margot Robbie and Guy Pearce — Amazon Freevee stepped in to save the day.
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Joining alongside many of the leading cast, returning to their roles as the residents of Ramsay Street in the fictitious Melbourne suburb of Erinsborough, Barton will have guest appearance as Reece, an American new to the area who apparently isn’t quite who she appears to be.
“I’m excited to be part of this iconic show’s next chapter, and I am really looking forward to being back in Australia, a place I know and love,” said Barton, whose career since The O.C. has mostly been in the lower-budget independent film world. “I think the character of Reece is going to be a great role for me to explore and play with.”
Alongside the casting news, Fremantle has announced that the show has now officially started production again in Melbourne and will launch in the autumn of 2023.
The revitalized Neighbours will premiere for free, exclusively on Amazon Freevee in the U.K. and U.S. The series will also stream on Prime Video in Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. Produced by Fremantle, the returning show’s executive producer is Jason Herbison, who has been in the role since 2013, with Andrew Thompson returning as producer.
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