Netflix inks multi-year overall deal with Dark creators
David Farnor | On 20, Jun 2018
Netflix has inked a multi-year overall deal with the creators of its hit German original series Dark.
The streaming giant’s first German original, the series tells a family tale with a supernatural twist, growing to become one of the most-watched entirely non-English shows on Netflix. The streaming giant swiftly renewed it for a second season, noting its “unexpected fandom” in countries such as Chile, Bangladesh and Canada – for every hour watched in Germany, nine hours were watched internationally.
Now, Netflix has doubled down on that investment with Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar signing a multi-year deal to produce original series for the streaming service. Both graduates of the University of Television and Film Munich, the pair have been working together since Odar’s directing debut The Silence. Their most recent feature film is Who Am I – No System Is Safe with Tom Schilling and Elyas M’Barek. The thriller was celebrated at the 2014 International Film Festival in Toronto and was a critical and commercial success in Germany, awarded with three German Film Awards and the Bambi for Best German Film. Odar, who was included in the list of “Ten Directors to Watch” by Variety, made his Hollywood debut with Sleepless, starring Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx, which premiered in 2017. After writing and directing all 10 episodes of Dark, they are currently working on the second season.
The agreement marks Netflix’s first European overall series deal, after a string of high-profile deals with US talent such as Shonda Rhimes and Ryan Murphy.
Erik Barmack, Vice President, International Originals, comments: “The promise of Netflix is entertainment transcending borders; where a hit show can come from anywhere in the world. We’re tremendously happy to announce our overall deal that continues our collaboration with Bo and Jantje, whose invigorating work has engaged and thrilled audiences globally. We thank both for their trust and are beyond excited to support their vision and art as storytellers.”
Odar and Friese add: “We are thrilled and extremely happy to further expand our partnership with Netflix. It is unlike any other opportunity in our career to experience how our stories and vision are understood and loved globally. We are excited to embark on our next journey with Netflix, keep pushing boundaries and challenging viewers with new ideas. We have plenty of surprises in store for them.”