Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar, the makers of Netflix’s German blockbuster series Dark, will shortly return with their new ambitious project, 1899. The series is scheduled to launch in September 2022, but will not be available on Netflix until late November. Here’s a rundown of everything we know so far about the upcoming German series.
The new series will be a period drama, as the title suggests, and the synopsis, which you can view below, suggests it will have thriller/horror aspects. The show is now under production, with a large ensemble cast and a brief teaser. Here’s everything we know so far about the new series from Dark’s creators and production firm, Dark Ways.
What is the story of 1899?
The creators of Dark are behind Netflix’s 1899, so we should expect something special. Showrunners Friese and Odar hinted to the series’ overarching direction, albeit there will be no time travel this time around: “We don’t repeat ourselves, we really dislike that, but it’s going to be a fascinating puzzle for the audience.” We’re returning to our mystical roots. All of the people on the ship are carrying secrets they don’t want to reveal. It’s put together again like a puzzle. Knowing what we did, Dark, everyone can be certain that this will be something strange, wild, and crazy.”
The official press release gives the following overview of the new series: “The original series centres on a migrant steamer sailing west from London to New York to depart the old continent. The passengers, a diverse group of European descent, are brought together by their aspirations for the twenty-first century and their futures abroad. Their journey takes an unexpected turn when they come across another migrant ship drifting on the open sea. Their journey to the promised land will turn into a terrifying nightmare because of what they discover on board.
Who is the 1899 cast?
In December 2020, Deadline confirmed that Cannes Film Festival award-winner Emily Beecham has been cast in the role of Maura Franklin in 1899. Beecham is well-known for her roles in films such as Little Joe, The Pursuit of Love, and Cruella.
Dark alum Andreas Pietschmann joined the ensemble cast of 1899 in May 2021, according to Deadline. Pietschmann portrayed an older Jonas in Dark and will play Eyk Larsen in the upcoming series. Since then, we’ve had a better look at the cast. In 1899, you’ll see the following characters:
- Anton Lesser (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides)
- Alexandre Willaume (The Wheel of Time)
- Aneurin Barnard (Dunkirk)
- Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen (The Rain)
- Mathilde Ollivier (Overlord) will play Clémence
- Miguel Bernardeau (Elite)
- Richard Hope (Piece of Cake)
- Clara Rosager (Morbius) will play Tove
- Jonas Bloquet (Elle) will play Lucien
Where is the production of 1899?
As of March 2020, filming was set to begin in February 2021, with preproduction beginning in September 2020. However, it appears that filming has been rescheduled. According to a job description for a language assistant placed on filmarche.de in November 2020, production is now slated to begin in April 2021 and end in September of the same year. Deadline claimed on May 3, 2021 that filming for Netflix’s 1899 had already begun in April in Babelsberg Studios, Germany.
On November 24, 2020, showrunner Baran bo Odar announced on Instagram that pre-production for 1899 has began with a lens test, providing us with our first look at the show’s costumes and environment.
On January 5, 2021, Baran bo Odar shared a snapshot from Shepperton Studios, where the series is currently in pre-production. He also announced that the show will be worked on by the renowned visual effects studio Framestore. They have worked on films such as The Witcher, The Boys, Wonder Woman 1984, and many others.
An extensive behind-the-scenes documentary detailing some of the technologies and techniques used in the series was published during Netflix’s Geeked Week.
When will 1899 be released?
The series was originally scheduled to premiere on Netflix in 2021, but with an April 2021 production start and a September 2021 wrap deadline, that quickly became unfeasible and the series was pushed back to 2022. It was confirmed in early 2022 (as part of Netflix Germany’s forthcoming roster) that 1899 will be available on Netflix in the autumn/winter of 2022.
The series will have its international premiere at the 47th Toronto International Film Festival (tiff), with the first two episodes shown. They will debut on September 13th, 2022. According to exclusive What’s on Netflix information, 1899 will be available on Netflix worldwide on November 24th, 2022. This is a tentative date.
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.”