Netflix recruits 'Night Manager' and 'Black Mirror' creators for Trojan war drama
The streaming service joins forces with the BBC and Canal Plus for high-stakes stories of war crimes, spies and Greek myth.
Netflix has teamed up with traditional broadcasters in the UK and France for a trio of high-stakes dramas.
As Netflix builds its portfolio of films and TV shows from around the world, the streaming service is collaborating with British broadcaster the BBC for two co-productions. They'll air on old-fashioned telly in the UK and on Netflix everywhere else.
The first is "Troy: Fall of a City". It's a new spin on the age-old tale of forbidden love involving Paris, Helen and a whacking great horse. Shooting in South Africa, "Troy" is written by David Farr, who adapted "The Night Manager" for the BBC. It's directed by Owen Harris, who helmed the heartbreaking "Black Mirror" episode "San Junipero" for Netflix.
The second BBC co-production is "Black Earth Rising". Written and directed by Hugo Blick, the man behind "The Honourable Woman" and "The Shadow Line", it's a dramatic look at the prosecution of international war crimes.
The third show is a co-production with French TV's Canal Plus and will appear on French traditional television while appearing on Netflix around the world. "The Spy" tells the true story of Eli Cohen, an Israeli agent who infiltrated Syria's highest military and political echelons in the 1960s. It's written and directed by Gideon Raff, who previously worked on "Prisoners of War" and "Homeland".
Netflix announced the new shows at a press event in Berlin today, where creators and stars from the streaming service's forthcoming original programming gave a taste of what we can expect. New shows are coming from Italy, Spain and Germany, joining the lineup of existing original Netflix productions from France, the UK and Mexico.
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