Notizie

Netflix has renewed thriller series Lupin for a fourth season. Omar Sy will return as the gentleman thief Assane Diop.

The streamer announced on Monday (May 12) that production is currently underway on eight new episodes of Lupin. The exciting news comes 18 months after the French-language show's third season premiered on Netflix in October 2023. Season 3 also has a perfect score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, which was the highest yet, following scores given of 98% for Season 1 and 96% for Season 2.

Production on Lupin Season 4 is Underway Now

“I often say that Lupin is an extraordinary plaything. I find great joy in it every time,” Sy said. “Together with Netflix, Carrousel and Gaumont, we’ve invested the time needed to raise our ambitions and deliver even more surprises and enjoyment, both for us and the audience. The fresh energy from Carrousel Studios aligns perfectly with this vision. I’m eager to share the new...

Clementine Gayet and Jimmy Desmarais, a pair of senior executives in charge of Netflix’s French scripted originals, are set to step down from the streamer at the end of the year, Variety has learned.

They follow a string of high-profile exits at Netflix in France, including Damien Couvreur, VP of series and documentaries, who left the streamer over the summer. A junior executive, Ingha Mago, who is creative associate of French Original Series at Netflix, will also be stepping down at the same time as Desmarais and Gayet. Netflix declined to comment.

Netflix’s French team has been spearheaded by Pauline Dauvin, the former VP at The Walt Disney Company France, since the start of 2024 in the newly created position of VP of content in France.

Spearheaded by Dauvin, the French team is now comprised of head of unscripted series Dolores Emile, scripted series boss Pierre Saint-André and Gaelle Mareschi,...

Warning: Spoilers lie ahead for Lupin season 3!

Lupin creator George Kay discusses the possibility of a season 4, stating that the show has "very ambitious foundations" and is set up for a long life. The finale of season 3 suggests that Assane's story is not over, with indications that he may have misplaced his trust and new circumstances for him to navigate. It is unclear if Netflix will produce a Lupin season 4, but if it does, it will be intriguing to see how Assane deals with being in prison and receiving a letter from Hubert.

Lupin’s future gets a cautious update from creator George Kay after season 3 revealed Assane’s fate. The Netflix show premiered in 2021 and follows Assane Diop (Omar Sy), a professional thief inspired by the stories of Arsène Lupin, who seeks to avenge his late father by targeting the wealthy family that wronged him. Through its first three seasons,...

The world’s most famous gentleman thief is back in Paris and is now France’s most-wanted man. Part 3 of “Lupin” bowed a week ago and took the top spot on the streamer’s Global Top 10.

“Lupin,” which garnered 11.6 million views globally within its first week, stars Omar Sy as Assane Diop, a character inspired by Arsène Lupin, a stylish thief and master of disguise portrayed in Maurice Leblanc’s original 1907 novel.

The escapist Paris-set heist comedy show has been hugely popular since it debuted in January 2021, turning Sy into a global star and bolstering sales of Leblanc’s novel nearly 100 years after the original book was published. Following the premiere of “Lupin,” as many as 140,000 copies of the book sold in France and French-speaking countries and also picked up steam in Italy, Spain, the U.S., the U.K. and Korea. Produced by Gaumont in France, “Lupin” ranks as...

National protests in France threatened to disrupt the 2023 Series Mania television festival and international industry summit, but, in the end, the 2023 event went off without a hitch. Members of the global TV industry gathered in the northern French city of Lille to celebrate the best in new small-screen drama and ponder the future of the business.

Here are the four big industry takeaways.

Everyone’s Going Local Netflix original series Transatlantic, is produced out of Germany

A few years back, all the major streamers were touting their global appeal, but with subscription growth slowing, the battle for business has moved to the local level. At Series Mania, execs for Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+ and Paramount+ all touted their local credentials.

Netflix’s heads of European TV programming, including Germany’s Katja Hofem, France’s Damien Couvreur, and the Nordic region’s Jenny Stjernströmer Björk teased the streamer’s Euro slate,...

Germany, Switzerland and Austria content chief Katja Hofem was talking at Series Mania.

Netflix is facing a scarcity of creatives as it battles the talent supply issues affecting the whole industry, according to Germany, Switzerland and Austria content chief Katja Hofem.

While the streamer is noted for being able to hand lucrative opportunities to creatives and poach them from rival players, Netflix is witnessing “a lot of challenges in our market” Hofem told delegates during her Series Mania keynote yesterday.

“We face a scarcity of writers, producers, directors and in Germany, especially, we also see a scarcity when it comes to diverse writers,...

Netflix teased its slate of new European series, including Part 3 of hit heist show “Lupin” starring Omar Sy, during its showcase at Series Mania in Lille.

The standing room-only session — which featured two DJs on stage spinning tracks to a Netflix sizzle — was a “roadshow”-style presentation that featured a number of clips from the streamer’s forthcoming European shows, followed by a short panel with commissioners Katja Hofem from Germany, Damien Couvreur from France and Jenny Stjernströmer Björk from the Nordics. Each briefly discussed their new shows but didn’t go into detail about their editorial strategies.

Due to the exclusive nature of the clips, security was extremely strict at the session, with French guards shouting at delegates — including journalists — to put away any laptops and phones, making any reporting of the session virtually impossible.

The streamer announced Season 2 of its off-beat comedy series “Represent,” starring Cesar-nominated actor-director Jean-Pascal Zadi...

The streaming landscape is changing at a rate of knots. The biggest U.S. players are looking for new revenue streams and growth areas, and, in 2022 much of that that growth is coming from European TV. These platforms’ activity in the continent was all anyone could talk about at this year’s European TV markets, and each is rolling out swiftly across multiple territories, ordering reams of content and placing commissioners in strategically important nations. Here, Deadline has taken the eight biggest U.S. offerings — Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, Discovery+, Apple TV+, Peacock and Paramount+ — and compiled a comprehensive guide to their activity in Europe, examining strategy, commissioners and, of course, the best content. Read on.

Netflix

The Strategy

Netflix has been operating by far the longest in Europe and is ingrained into many country’s production sectors, almost acting as a public broadcaster in some where it is more advanced.

Netflix today provided a taste of its slate of original French productions coming up in 2022, which includes 25 new titles for launch this year and 20 projects currently in production. The slate, selected and developed by the Netflix France creative team, reps a total investment of more than 200M euros ($221M) across 2022. The streamer recently signed a deal with the French industry in which it committed to producing at least 10 local films per year, investing about 40M euros ($45M).

Among the projects highlighted during a presentation in Paris today was Romain Gavras’ formerly untitled feature, which is now called Athena. An immersive and modern tragedy, it stars Dali Benssalah, Sami Slimane, Anthony Bajon and is co-written with Oscar nominee Ladj Ly (Les Misérables) and Elias Belkeddar. The logline reads: In the space of a few hours following the tragic death of their younger brother in troubling circumstances, the men’s lives will tip over into chaos.

Netflix unveiled its 2022 slate of 25 French Originals, as well as projects including the second and third opus of its action movie “Lost Bullet,” and “En Place,” a comedy series created by Jean-Pascal Zadi (“Tout simplement Noir”) and Francois Uzan.

The company said it will invest more than €200 million ($220 million) in 2022 in France. Out of these 25 titles, there are about 10 series, and approximately eight films.

The streamers’ French presentation was hosted at the Comedy Club in Paris to tease “Standing-Up,” a series following aspiring stand-up comedians directed by Fanny Herrero, the creator of “Call My Agent.” Herrero attended the press conference along with key Netflix executives in Europe, including Damien Couvreur, Sara May and Gaelle Mareschi.

Besides “Standing Up,” Netflix’s anticipated highlights for 2022 including Romain Gavras’s “Athena,” an immersive and modern tragedy played by Dali Benssalah, Sami Slimane, Anthony Bajon and co-written by Ladj Ly (“Les Miserables”); as well as “Rhythm + Flow France,...

Netflix has revealed that filming is underway on its first major Russian drama series, Anna K.

Filming began early this month on the Russian Original, a contemporary retelling of Leo Tolstoy’s classic novel Anna Karenina.

Svetlana Khodchenkova (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) is starring as Anna Karenina in the series, which is filming in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia. The series is set in modern day Russia, where socialite Anna Karenina, the wife of the soon-to-become governor of St. Petersburg, enters a life-changing love affair with Vronsky, the dashing heir of an aluminum empire. Their affair quickly careens out of control, threatening the delicate balance of their familial bonds and social relationships.

Anna Nagler, Director, Local Language Originals, Cee, Russia and Poland, disclosed the start of production during a Series Mania panel about the streamer’s European growth.

The audience heard that the number of viewers for Netflix’s non-English...

Although the Covid-19 pandemic forced a production slowdown in Hollywood, European shows are gaining unprecedented global traction, becoming a significant catalyst of an ongoing shifting dynamic in IP dominance.

Streaming giants have prompted a fundamental shift towards non-English scripted content conquering more global eyeballs, says Guy Bisson of London-based Ampere Analysis. Although he points out that this trend was “well underway before Covid came along,” within this scenario, shows from continental Europe are now making “unprecedented inroads.”

The most recent case in point is “Lupin,” which rapidly reached more than 70 million global households after its January premiere on Netflix, becoming the streamer’s biggest French original to date and marking the first time a French show appeared in the Netflix Top 10 in the U.S. on its launch date, in addition to scaling the top spot in dozens of other countries.

“Lupin,” which launched with just five episodes and will...

Netflix has boarded new action-packed film projects in France, including the sequel of Guillaume Pierret’s thriller “Lost Bullet,” and Regis Blondeau’s “A Tombeau Ouvert,” a remake of the Korean film “A Hard Day.”

The service’s slate of Originals for 2021, meanwhile, comprises the action movie “The Last Mercenary” with Jean-Claude Van Damme, and the series “Braqueurs,” a spinoff of Julien Leclercq’s movie.

The service is expecting to roll out 27 French Originals by the end of 2021, according to Anne-Gabrielle Dauba-Pantanacce, head of communications at Netflix.

The titles were announced during a virtual presentation of Netflix’s French slate for 2021, hosted by Damien Couvreur, head of French series originals, Sara May, Netflix’s head of acquisitions and co-productions for France and Italy, and Dauba-Pantanacce.

“Lost Bullet” is high-concept thriller revolving around a man who gets arrested after a failed robbery and starts working for a cop unit to avoid going to jail.

Netflix has unveiled the latest donation made by its $100M fund that was set up on March 20 to provide emergency relief to the global creative industries during the coronavirus pandemic.

A total of $1.1M (€1M) will go to support the French Covid-19 Film and TV Emergency Relief Fund, which is being set up with Audiens, the social protection group of the French cultural sector, in agreement with the country’s Minister of Culture represented by the Cnc.

The money will be made available as grants to vulnerable freelancers in the audiovisual and movie sectors who live project to project – including carpenters, electricians, and hair and...

Netflix has joined forces with Audiens, the social protection group of the French cultural sector, to set up an emergency fund for local freelance artists and crew members.

Netflix is set to inject €1 million ($1.09 million) into the fund that’s being set up with Audiens, in collaboration with France’s National Film Board (Cnc).

The grant is aimed at supporting the most vulnerable freelance workers in the TV and film sectors, notably carpenters, electricians and hair and make-up artists, who have been hit by the cancellations and/or postponing of productions due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“We’re grateful to be able to work with Audiens to support the hardest hit workers in TV and film production, who are a part of the internationally admired French creative industry,” said Damien Couvreur, head of original series at Netflix France, whose current pipeline includes Damien Chazelle’s “The Eddy” (pictured).

“In addition...

Streaming giant has made similar donations in UK and Italy.

Netflix has joined forces with French body Groupe Audiens, the country’s central mutual social security fund aimed at media and entertainment professionals, to help launch an emergency relief fund for film and TV sector workers in France hit by the production shutdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The global streamer has donated €1m to help launch the Covid-19 Film and TV Emergency Relief Fund.

Netflix and Audiens said in a joint statement that the fund would make grants available to the most vulnerable freelancers in the audiovisual and film sectors,...

Streaming giant officially announces collaborations with Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Fanny Herrero and Julien Leclercq.

Steaming giant Netflix officially opened its new French headquarters in Paris on Friday in a move that Netflix chairman and CEO Reed Hastings said signalled a long-term commitment to the country.

Hastings, who flew into Paris to celebrate the official launch, said the new French office would enable Netflix ”to work even more closely with the French creative community on great shows and films that are made in France and watched all around the world.”

Some 40 staff are due to be based at the new French offices...

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings today officially opened Netflix’s vast new French headquarters in the center of Paris.

Currently home to 40 employees in film, TV and marketing, and with ample space for at least 100 more, the shiny new space is a major sign of intent for the streamer in one of Europe’s most important – and heavily regulated – markets.

Netflix announced today that it will significantly increase investment in France, with 20 new French productions, and partnerships with leading French creative institutions.

The streamer’s French content executives today unveiled a handful of original shows as well as a range of series and films made by production partners for the streamer. They include:

BigBug, the new film by César Award winner Jean-Pierre Jeunet, based on a script written by Jeunet and Guillaume Laurant — a comedy set in the future with a cast including César Award winner Elsa Zylberstein, César Award nominee Isabelle Nanty and Manu Payet.

Netflix continued to make strides in its European expansion on Thursday, unveiling a swanky multi-floor Paris office and announcing 20 new French shows and movies in the pipeline.

Located in the heart of the city and staffed with 40 employees, Netflix’s office launch attracted French industry figures, including producers and filmmakers working with or looking to work with Netflix.

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, who was on hand at the event, said the service will be stepping up its investment locally and will target high-profile talent in 2020. New titles include the film “Big Bug,” directed by “Amelie” director Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Penned by Jeunet and Guillaume Laurant, “Big Bug” is a comedy set in the future starring Elsa Zylberstein, Isabelle Nanty and Manu Payet.

Jeunet participated in the first roundtable organised for the event, along with the directors Julien Leclercq and Leïla Sy, as well as rapper-turned-actor Kery James, and Sara May, director...

Diego Bunuel, who joined Netflix in 2018 as head of original documentaries for the Emea region, has left the streaming giant, the company confirmed Thursday.

A source close to Netflix said Bunuel’s departure was a mutual decision. Bunuel was based out of Netflix’s London office after having worked in Los Angeles for six months. He previously worked at Canal Plus, where he was head of documentaries.

Bunuel stepped down from Netflix because he wanted to relocate to Paris, where his family lives, according to the source close to Netflix. Although Netflix is about to officially launch its Paris office in January, Bunuel was required to remain in London, where his team is based.

Under Bunuel’s watch, Netflix launched 18 original documentaries in the Emea region and recently scored big with its first French documentary original, “Who Killed Little Gregory?”, which has been the streamer’s most critically acclaimed French original content.

Netflix is getting ready to officially launch its swanky Paris office on Jan. 17. The streaming giant has planned an afternoon of discussions that gather together Netflix executives, including the company’s co-founder, chairman and CEO Reed Hastings, as well as the filmmakers and producers who have worked with Netflix.

As previously announced, the French outpost won’t be dedicated to production as in Spain, where Netflix bowed its first European production hub, but it will be staffed with executives working across several fields, including production, acquisition, and marketing. The 27,000-square-foot office will spread over three floors and will be located in the heart of Paris, in a chic and hip neighborhood in the city’s 9th arrondissement.

The panels on Jan. 17 include a roundtable bringing together the up-and-coming directors Julien Leclercq and Leïla Sy, as well as rapper-turned-actor Kery James, who will participate in a discussion with Sara May, the head of acquisitions at Netflix.

As it prepares to launch a fully staffed Paris office and beefs up its roster of French series and movies originals, Netflix commissioners Sara May, Damien Couvreur, Dominique Bazay and Diego Buñuel discussed the particularities of their development process and deal-making with the French industry, as well as their diversity-friendly approach, at Series Mania.

Although France has presented many challenges for Netflix because of its strict window release schedule (which sets the Svod window at 36 months) and protests from film bodies, the French market has now become one of the fastest-growing for the streaming service, which currently boasts more than 5 million subscribers locally.

Netflix has nearly 20 French originals in the pipeline. So far, it has delivered a couple films, including “Je ne suis pas un homme facile” and “Paris est à Nous,” and three series: political drama “Marseille,” with Gerard Depardieu; romantic comedy “Plan Coeur”; and the science-fiction series “Osmosis,...

Lille, France — Series Mania’s Forum wrapped Wednesday, the festival proper on Saturday night. Here are 10 takeaways on events to date at the biggest edition ever:

1.Netflix: No In-house Production In France, But Beyond?

The role of the independent producer in an Over-the-Top platform world proved the No. 1 talking point of Series Mania.

Producers fears are double-fold: Not retaining any rights to what they produce: being totally sidelined by streaming giants’ producing talent directly. If Series Mania served to suggest one thing, it is that the jury is still out on how this issue will play out. Especially with more Ott players coming online, nothing seems written in stone. At one of the TV festivals key panels, Developing French Content for and with Netflix, asked whether Netflix would in-house produce in France. Damien Couvreur, director international originals France, said that Netflix was “doing it in the U.S., to...

TF1, France’s top commercial network, is joining forces with Netflix for the first time to co-finance “Le Bazar de la Charité,” a high-profile period series inspired by a real-life tragedy and written by Catherine Ramberg (“The Source”) and Karine Spreuzkouski.

Co-produced by Quad Télévision and TF1, the eight-part series unfolds in Paris in November 1897 and revolves around the consequences of a devastating fire which destroyed the building known as the Bazar de la Charité, where a large charity event was taking place. The fire caused more than 130 deaths, mainly high-society women and their entourages.

The series, which is being directed by Alexandre Laurent (“La Mante”), follows the romantic journey of three women, Adrienne De Lenverpre, Alice De Jeansin and her maid, Rose Rivière, who see their destinies turned upside-down from identity theft, forbidden love, betrayal and emancipation.

The cast is headlined by Audrey Fleurot, Julie De Bona (“Le Tueur du Lac...

Netflix’s remarkable international growth will continue apace, a packed industry event heard at the European Film Market in Berlin this morning. It was standing room only at the buzzy session titled ‘From Idea to Screen: Developing European Content for and with Netflix’, which gave industry an insight into the streaming giant’s European commissioning and acquisitions strategy for original drama and film.

Taking part were Kelly Luegenbiehl, VP International Originals Europe/Turkey/Africa; Rachel Eggebeen, Director Content International Originals Germany, Austria & Switzerland; Kai Finke, Director Acquisitions & Co-productions Germany, Austria & Switzerland; Damien Couvreur, Director International Originals France; and Diego Avalos, Director International Originals Spain. The session focused primarily on drama series.

The volume of new content being commissioned by the international team is dizzying. Today the service revealed Norwegian horror series Bloodride and two German dramas: Biohackers, a thriller from show runner-director Christian Ditter; and Unorthodox, from Deutschland 83 show runner Anna Winger.

Lille France — Bigger and better. That was the goal for this year’s edition of the Series Mania Co-Pro Pitching Sessions, the first since the festival moved from Paris to Lille. A prize of $50,000 was on the line for the winning series, awarded to the American-created, Swedish-made dramedy “We Got This!” the last project to pitch on the day.

“I decided to build a story about a misunderstood creature,” American series creator Schiaffino Musarra said during his pitch, one of the lightest of the day: “An ignorant and impulsive American. He is heavy, bearded and quite handsome.”

It’s worth pointing out that Musarra plays the lead character in the series.

“Interestingly, I had been pitching this as an idea on a piece of paper for about five years. Nobody wanted to do it,” he explained of the series inauspicious beginnings.

“Comedy is notoriously difficult to prove on a piece of paper,...