The Inspirations Behind Boy Swallows Universe

The Story of Boy Swallows Universe

Boy Swallows Universe tells the story of Eli \\u2014 a boy whose life has been complicated from the beginning due to his family's criminal activity and the dangers that follow them. Although the show features numerous unbelievable events for many, it is partially inspired by a true story. The coming-of-age limited series is based on the 2018 novel of the same name by Trent Dalton, who served as an executive producer on the show. It premiered on Netflix in 2024 and received positive reviews from critics and audiences alike. Shortly following its release, the miniseries shot to the top of the streaming service's most-watched lists.

Felix Cameron looks ahead in Boy Swallows Universe

The cast of Boy Swallows Universe includes Felix Cameron, Zac Burgess, and Auden Ryan as Eli Bell, Lee Tiger Halley and Jake Cockburn as August 'Gus' Bell, Travis Fimmel as Lyle Orlik, Simon Baker as Robert Bell, Phoebe Tonkin as Frances Bell, Bryan Brown as Slim Halliday, Anthony LaPaglia as Tytus Broz, Sophie Wilde as Caitlyn Spies, Christopher James Baker as Ivan Kroll, Deborah Mailman as Poppy Birkbeck, and Adam Briggs as Alex Bermuda. All the characters in the show are fictional, but the book's author has revealed that real events inspired the story.

Phoebe Tonkin looks out the car window in Boy Swallows Universe

Real-Life Inspirations

Trent Dalton, the writer of Boy Swallows Universe (the book) and executive producer of Boy Swallows Universe (the Netflix limited series), revealed that the story is loosely based on his childhood. During an interview with the Townsville Bulletin, Dalton explained that his upbringing inspired particular aspects of Eli's life in the television show. Dalton had two older male role models in his life \\u2014 his stepfather, who was a criminal, and Arthur 'Slim' Halliday, a family friend who happened to be a convicted murderer and prison escapee. Despite their pasts, Dalton loved them.

Like Eli's stepfather and babysitter in Boy Swallows Universe are based on Dalton's father figures, Phoebe Tonkin's character, Frances, was also inspired by Dalton's mother in real life. The author told the Townsville Bulletin: 'Mum is my hero ... I don't have enough words in the book to go on about all the things my mum survived, things that other people would have succumbed to. My mum went away for two years just like Frankie Bell does in the book. Everything that happened in that passage in the book with the kid wanting to see his mum is pretty close to the bone for me.'

Fiction vs. Reality

Even though some facets of the Netflix limited series are pulled from Trent Dalton's childhood, the show is still primarily a work of fiction. Many plotlines in the show were fabricated to dramatize the story and create an arc that works in the television medium. For example, the importance of the rotary phone was exaggerated, and many of the outrageous plot developments and occurrences in the series were not based on Dalton's true story. Ultimately, the basics of Boy Swallows Universe, including the characters' background and family dynamics, are inspired by Dalton's upbringing, but almost everything else is fictional.

All seven episodes of Boy Swallows Universe are available to stream on Netflix.