During the Series Mania Festival, Netflix's VP of EMEA Content, Larry Tanz, announced the commissioning of new shows from France and the Netherlands. These include an untitled thriller series featuring Isabelle Adjani and a Dutch crime series titled 'Amsterdam Empire' starring and executive produced by Famke Janssen.
The French thriller series follows a young mother who becomes a picker at a flower farm in Provence, only to be implicated in the mysterious death of the family patriarch. Uncovering her unexpected inheritance and connections to the affluent family, she navigates mounting accusations. The series is created by Nils Antoine Sambuc and directed by Marie Jardillier, with production by Itinéraire Productions.
'Amsterdam Empire' directed by Jonas Govaerts, centers on Jack van Doorn, the founder of the coffee shop empire Jackal, as he battles criminals, competitors, and Dutch laws. His affair with a journalist reveals his betrayed wife as his most dangerous adversary. The series is created by Nico Moolenaar, Bart Uytdenhouwen, and Piet Matthys, with Janssen and Moolenaar as executive producers, and production by Pupkin Film BV and A Team Productions.
Tanz also shared that Netflix has over 40 European productions in progress and collaborates with 400 producers. He highlighted concerns about the rigidity of investment requirements under the E.U.'s Audiovisual Media Services Directive, emphasizing the potential impact on creativity. While Netflix has committed to investing €40 million in French and European films for theatrical release, Tanz praised Spain's more flexible investment quotas, citing the success of the series 'Kaos,' a dark-comedy created by Charlie Covell.
Tanz emphasized the importance of flexibility in fostering creativity, noting that restrictive quotas can hinder innovation. He pointed to Spain as a model of balancing obligations with creative freedom, underscoring the benefits of a more adaptable approach to content production.
