Long before Barbie, The Wolf of Wall Street, and even Pan Am, award-winning actress Margot Robbie cut her teeth on Neighbours, a long-running Australian soap opera where she played teenager Donna Freedman from 2008 to 2011. Despite being 18 when she joined the show, Robbie cycled through several very adult storylines, including a wedding, an affair, and even a same-sex kiss — a big deal for the show at the time.
Now, in a distinctly 2026 twist, Robbie's time on the show will be repurposed into a new microdrama, courtesy of Neighbours' production company Fremantle Media partnering with RoseBerry Media, a production company specializing in using AI to create 'Vertical TV'.
Former Neighbours' Cast and Crew Push Back
Speaking to the BBC, former cast and crew of the soap opera have expressed concerns about the "reimagined" series. Matt Werkmeister, for example, who shared the screen with Robbie back in the 2000s, has worries about consent. "If they're creating a new micro-drama out of something that already exists, I feel there needs to be consent for using our image and voice as well as the writers," the former actor said.
Former actor Sam Clark, who played the character who marries Ro...