Netflix has ordered a second season of its much-maligned French-language drama Marseilles. The streaming giant took to Twitter to post the news in French with the simple message, “The fight is not over.”
The move comes despite the show, which stars Gerard Depardieu as an aging corrupt politico in the fight of his life against his one-time protege, taking a critical battering upon its French bow in May. It was met with largely negative reviews when its first two episodes premiered on French public broadcaster TF1 as part of a deal with Netflix.
Given that Netflix tends not to release ratings, it remains to be seen how the rest of the series has fared now that it is exclusively on Netflix, but Netflix execs have attached a lot of prestige — and coin — to the project, its first French-language drama. The eight-episode series was created and written by Carlos co-writer Dan Franck. Among the directors are Florent Emilio Siri (Hostage), Xavier Gens (Hitman) and Cedric Anger (Next Time I’ll Aim For The Heart). Benoit Magimel plays the young upstart. Geraldine Pailhas (Don Juan DeMarco) and Nadia Fares (The Crimson Rivers) also have major roles in the series opposite Depardieu, whose barnstorming turn has, to some extent, been critic-proof, unlike some of the show’s dialogue.
Marseilles, set in France’s culturally diverse second city, is only one of Netflix’s local-language shows. The SVOD giant also has its $100 million event series The Crown, created and written by Peter Morgan, debuting this year. The series follows the reign of England’s current and longest-serving monarch Queen Elizabeth II.
Netflix is also teaming with the BBC on on a blockbuster adaptation of the classic novel Watership Down. The four-part animated miniseries is the brainchild of dynamic Brit production-management banner 42. The series will premiere on BBC One in the UK and internationally on Netflix. An A-list collection of talent has been assembled for the project including Star Wars: The Force Awakens‘ John Boyega, James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult, Ben Kingsley and Gemma Arterton. Netflix also has local-language series planned in Italy, Germany and Spain.
Netflix has also commissioned its first original series out of Argentina with Daniel Burman’s Edha. The series will start production in Buenos Aires and debut exclusively on Netflix worldwide next year. Burman’s credits include El Rey Del Once and El Abrazo Partido. Written by Burman, Mario Segade and Oficina Burman’s writers room, the one hour, 13-episode season will follow the life of Edha, a young, successful fashion designer and single mother, who is at a crossroads that could change her life forever. As she struggles to make a decision that will take her to a whole new level in the fashion world, she meets a handsome immigrant-turned-model. Their savage passion is mingled with his profound desire for revenge.
Edha will join the slate of other Netflix original series produced in Latin America such as Club de Cuervos, Ingobernable, Narcos, 3% and the untitled project by Jose Padilha based on current events in Brazil.
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