Daniel Johns Brings Semi-Autobiographical Sci-Fi Film To Stage With What If The Future Never Happened?

Daniel Johns is stepping back into the spotlight this November with What If The Future Never Happened?, a semi-autobiographical short film that fuses reality and fantasy, wrapped in a live storytelling and music event series across Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane and Melbourne.

The film itself has been years in the making. Directed by James Medlam and shot in Newcastle in 2022, Johns deliberately held the project back to coincide with the 30th anniversary of Frogstomp, the album that catapulted Silverchair from suburban teenagers to global rock stars. Produced by Clockwork Films in collaboration with BMG, Winarch, and Johns himself, the film is described as a “cinematic portal back to the ’90s,” reframing the turbulence of early fame through a surreal sci-fi lens.

Set in 1994, the story follows a teenage Daniel (played by rising actor Rasmus King) as he navigates bullying, small-town life, and a mysterious encounter with a figure from the future that alters his destiny. Newcomer Lockie Ranson co-stars as the leader of the bullies, while the soundtrack blends orchestral reimaginings of Silverchair classics with Johns’ newer material.

For Johns, each evening will feature an intimate conversation where he shares rare photos, unseen archival footage, and demos that span his career, from four-track bedroom recordings for Neon Ballroom through to sketches for a never-realised sixth Silverchair album. Fans can also expect unreleased material from his solo catalogue and collaborations. “I’m turning theatres into giant living rooms,” Johns said. “Telling stories, playing tunes nobody has heard, and celebrating a project I’m as proud of as anything I’ve done.”

This marks Johns’ first live stage appearances in over five years. The shows follow his record-breaking 2022 album FutureNever, which topped the ARIA chart twice, became the year’s best-selling Australian album, and spawned the immersive Past, Present & FutureNever exhibition in Melbourne.

As the frontman of Silverchair, Johns achieved six ARIA #1 albums and sold more than 10 million records worldwide, while earning APRA Songwriter of the Year a record three times. His post-Silverchair projects, from The Dissociatives with Paul Mac, to DREAMS with Luke Steele, to a Grammy win with Flume, have kept him on the edge of reinvention.

With What If The Future Never Happened?, Johns is revisiting his own mythology, blending personal history with speculative storytelling. It’s part memoir, part science fiction, and wholly Daniel Johns.

Daniel Johns In Conversation: What If The Future Never Happened?
1 Nov – State Theatre, Sydney
7 Nov – Civic Theatre, Newcastle
9 Nov – Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane
13 Nov – Palais Theatre, Melbourne

Tickets on sale 25 September via frontiertouring.com/danieljohns.