Sam Neill’s courtroom drama ‘The Twelve’ starts production on its third season

Sam Neill’s courtroom drama ‘The Twelve’ has started production on a third season.

The actor, 77, will reprise his role as lawyer Brett Colby, watching on as jurors deliberate on a cold case murder trial, after the latest run of the show was commissioned by Binge, a streaming platform run by Australian TV group Foxtel.

It will focus on how the 12 jurors are grappling with both their duty to deliver an accurate verdict and their personal troubles.

The third season will be eight one-hour episodes written by a team including Sarah L Walker, Matt Cameron, Mia Lethbridge, Adele Vuko and Sam Meikle, Variety reported.

The outlet added the series will be directed by Madeleine Gottlieb and Mark Joffe, with casting by Kirsty McGregor and Will Pearce.

Its producers are Hamish Lewis and Michael Brooks for Warner Bros International Television Production Australia and Ally Henville, Ian Collie and Rob Gibson for Easy Tiger.

Also onboard as executive producers are Sarah L Walker, Sam Neill, Alison Hurbert-Burns, while Penny Win Lana Greenhalgh will oversee the production for Foxtel Group.

The new season is set in Western Australia’s Margaret River region, Perth and beyond, with settings including the state’s Parliament House and ABC Studios.

Its second series was the biggest-ever production to take place in Western Australia, delivering $6.45 million to the economy and creating more than 650 jobs.

Bosses predict the third season will deliver the same again.

The first series of show landed 10 nominations at the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards – known as the AACTAs – and won in three categories including best miniseries.

It was also the most nominated drama series at the 63rd TV Week Logie Awards, winning three gongs at the ceremony including most outstanding drama.