The Riders tells the story of an Australian man, Fred Scully, and his seven-year-old daughter Billie.

"[1] The Publishers Weekly described the novel as a 'suspense thriller" and a "gut-wrenching love story" and praise his descriptions of landscapes, the energy of his prose and call Winton "stunning".

[3] An opera based on the novel, with libretto by Alison Croggon and music by Iain Grandage, was premiered in Melbourne in September 2014.

[7][8] In February 2014, Hans Fabian Wullenweber was announced to replace Connolly as director, and Ronan Keating, Luke Hemsworth, and Mark Strong were all added to the cast, with Spall being the only original actor reported.

Qubeka was announced as the new director, and an entirely new cast consisting of Liam McIntyre, Pixie Davies, and Richard E. Grant were all set to appear.