Rachel Griffiths has joined the cast of Wentworth: Halfway Home, the upcoming Australian drama spin-off streaming on Binge, alongside fellow newcomer Sophie Lowe. The casting news matters for fans of the acclaimed prison drama Wentworth, which ran for eight seasons from 2013 and was sold to more than 170 territories, as the new series brings back several familiar faces while expanding the franchise into fresh storylines centred on life after prison.

Griffiths will play Moira, a glamorous fraudster paroled after three years who moves into Sal's Halfway House following the collapse of her high-society second marriage, while Lowe takes on Sam, a former stalker released on parole after a break-in and assault. They join returning stars Katrina Milosevic, Nicole da Silva and Kate Box, reprising their roles as Boomer, Franky and Lou, alongside previously announced cast members Alex King and Chenile Chandler. The series, currently filming in Melbourne and produced by Fremantle Australia with backing from Foxtel, Screen Australia and VicScreen, follows Boomer as she seeks custody of her daughter after a body is discovered at the halfway house; it is due to premiere on Binge and Foxtel later this year.