Dark, Netflix’s German popular series, has concluded, but creators Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar will be back soon with their massive new ambitious project, 1899. Here’s a rundown of everything we know about the forthcoming German series thus far.
The new series will be a historical drama, as the title implies, with thriller/horror elements, according to the synopsis, which you can view below.
With a vast ensemble cast and a modest teaser, the series is already in production. Here’s everything we know so far about the new series from the Dark Ways production business and its creators.
Netflix’s 1899 is from the same people who brought us Dark, so we should expect something special. Showrunners Friese and Odar hinted to the series’ overarching direction, however without any time travel.
In the official press release, the new series’ summary is as follows: “The original series revolves around a migrant steamship heading west to leave the old continent from London to New York.” The passengers, who come from all over Europe, are brought together by their aspirations and ambitions for the new century and their future overseas. Their trip takes an unexpected turn when they come across another migrant ship drifting on the open sea.
1899 will be totally bilingual, according to showrunners Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese, with each actor speaking their native dialect. On Netflix, it will be presented in the same manner. Odar and Friese made it clear that the language issue is very important to them, and that they aim to portray every linguistic and cultural aspect as accurately as possible:
Emily Beecham, a Cannes Film Festival prize winner, was cast in the part of Maura Franklin in 1899, according to Deadline in December 2020. Beecham is well recognized for her appearances in Little Joe and The Pursuit of Love, and she will be in Emma Stone’s next film Cruella.
Deadline reported in May 2021 that Andreas Pietschmann, a Dark veteran, would be joining the ensemble cast of 1899. In Dark, Pietschmann portrayed an older Jonas, and in the new series, he will play Eyk Larsen.
The first season of 1899 will consist of eight one-hour episodes. According to showrunner Baran bo Odar’s Instagram, the pilot episode is titled “The Ship.”
The series was supposed to premiere on Netflix in 2021, but with a production start in April 2021 and a finish in September 2021, that is now unrealistic, and the first season will almost probably be released in 2022.
1899 will be available on Netflix in the Autumn/Winter of 2022, according to the studio.