James R | On 24, Sep 2022

Sky’s remake of Django is drawing closer to our living rooms, and a new trailer gives us a first look at the Western series.

A reimagining of Sergio Corbucci’s classic film, the series stars Matthias Schoenaerts (Rust and Bone) as the iconic title character, alongside Nicholas Pinnock (For Life, Counterpart, Top Boy) as John Ellis, visionary founder of the town of New Babylon.

Set in Texas in the late 1800s, Django is a jaded cowboy in search of Sarah, the daughter he thought he’d lost. In following her trail, he comes upon New Babylon at the bottom of a crater, a place where all outcasts are welcome and where everyone is equal and free. Here, Django discovers that his 20-year-old daughter is alive and set to marry John Ellis. Sarah – who blames her father for the death of their family, massacred many years earlier while he was at war – wants Django to leave. But he refuses to give up and does everything in his power to get a second chance with her, becoming a valuable ally for Ellis, who must defend the town from Elizabeth Thurman, a powerful and ruthless enemy.

Lisa Vicari (Luna, Dark) co-stars as Sarah, with Noomi Rapace (Prometheus, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, What Happened to Monday?) playing Elizabeth. Rounding out the cast are Jyuddah Jaymes (Clique, Criminal: UK), Benny O Arthur (Get Lucky, Alexanderplatz) and Eric Kole (Fifty Pence, Hold) as John Ellis’s children and Tom Austen (The Royals, Grantchester) as cowboy Eljiah Turner.

Created and written by Leonardo Fasoli (Gomorrah the Series, ZeroZeroZero) – alongside Maddalena Ravagli (Gomorrah the Series) who also co-wrote the series’ treatment with Francesco Cenni and Michele Pellegrini – the 10-part series is directed by Francesca Comencini (Gomorrah the Series), David Evans (Downton Abbey) and Enrico Maria Artale (Romulus).

The series will premiere at the Rome Film Festival on 16th October and will air on Sky and NOW in 2023. Watch this space for a confirmed air date – and, until then, watch the trailer:

 

Noomi Rapace and Nicholas Pinnock join Sky’s Django

17th March 2021

Noomi Rapace and Nicholas Pinnock have joined Sky’s remake of Django.

Loosely based on the classic Sergio Corbucci Western, the series is set in the Wild West in the 1860s and 1870s. Sarah and John have founded New Babylon, a city of outcasts, full of men and women of all backgrounds, races and creeds, that welcomes everyone with open arms. Haunted by the murder of his family eight years earlier, Django is still looking for his daughter, believing she may have survived. He is shocked to find her in New Babylon, about to marry John. But Sarah, now a grown woman, wants Django to leave, as she fears he will put New Babylon in jeopardy if he stays. However, Django, believing the city is in danger, is adamant that he will not lose his daughter twice.

Matthias Schoenaerts stars as the eponymous Django, but now, he’s got some star-studded company, with Rapace and Pinnock joining the cast. Rapace, the Swedish star well known for her roles in the films Prometheus, Sherlock Holmes and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, will play John Ellis’ powerful and merciless enemy Elizabeth, while Pinnock, an actor and founder of Silver Milk Productions (The Last Tree, Fortitude), will take the key role of John Ellis, Django’s antagonist. Also joining the cast is German rising star Lisa Vicari, known for her performances in the film Luna and, more recently, in Netflix’s Dark. She will take the key role of Sarah, Django’s long lost daughter.

Other cast members include Jyuddah Jaymes (Clique, Criminal: UK), Eric Kole (Fifty Pence, Hold) and Benny Opoku-Arthur (Get Lucky, Alexanderplatz) as John Ellis’ three sons, as well as Tom Austen (The Royals, Grantchester) in the role of Elijah and actress and Youtuber Abigail Thorn as Jess.

The series is produced for Sky and CANAL+ by French production company Atlantique Productions (Midnight Sun, The Eddy), in collaboration with Odeon Fiction and StudioCanal. Principal photography has just started in Romania and the 10-part series will be filmed over six months in Racos, Bucharest and the Danube area.

Django was created and written by Leonardo Fasoli (Gomorrah the Series, ZeroZeroZero) and Maddalena Ravagli (Gomorrah the Series, ZeroZeroZero), who, together, also co-wrote the series treatment with Francesco Cenni and Michele Pellegrini, with two episodes written by Max Hurwitz (ZeroZeroZero, Manhunt). The first episodes will be directed by Francesca Comencini (Gomorrah the Series), who will also be the series’ artistic director.

 

Django: Matthias Schoenaerts to star in Sky Western series

19th February 2021

Matthias Schoenaerts is getting his Western on for Django, a new Sky series loosely based on the Sergio Corbucci classic.

The 10-episode series will be a high-concept reimagining of the classic Western, with Schoenaerts (The Danish Girl, The Mustang, Bullhead, Rust and Bone) taking the title role.

The Wild West in the 1860s and 1870s. Sarah and John have founded New Babylon, a city of outcasts, full of men and women of all backgrounds, races and creeds, that welcomes everyone with open arms. Haunted by the murder of his family eight years earlier, Django is still looking for his daughter, believing she may have survived the killing. He is shocked to find her in New Babylon, about to marry John. But Sarah, now a grown woman, wants Django to leave, as she fears he will put New Babylon in jeopardy if he stays. However, Django, believing the city is in danger, is adamant that he will not lose his daughter twice.

Django was created and written by Leonardo Fasoli (Gomorrah the Series, ZeroZeroZero) and Maddalena Ravagli (Gomorrah the Series), who, together, also co-wrote the series treatment with Francesco Cenni and Michele Pellegrini, with two episodes written by Max Hurwitz (ZeroZeroZero, Manhunt). It will be produced in English by Cattleya (ZeroZeroZero, Gomorrah the Series), part of ITV Studios, and by Atlantique Productions (Midnight Sun, The Eddy), part of Mediawan, for Sky and CANAL+. The first episodes will be directed by Francesca Comencini (Gomorrah the Series), who will also be the series’ artistic director.

Comencini says: “I was extremely attracted to this project as it features extremely strong female characters and delivers a thought-provoking reappraisal of masculinity in the Western genre. It’s a universal story with a narrative that celebrates diversity and minorities. I am certain Django will intrigue and captivate global viewers.”

A CANAL+ Création Originale and Sky Original, Django will be broadcast on the CANAL+ channels in France, Benelux and Africa and on Sky’s services in Italy, the UK, Ireland, Austria and Germany.

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