Disney+ Unveils Roster of New European Originals
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Disney has announced a slate of new European originals. These include projects for both Disney+ and international brand Star, which launches in Europe later this month.
During Disney’s Investor Day back in December 2020, it was announced that Disney+ would greenlight 50 international projects by 2024. It looks like the House of Mouse is quickly working its way toward meeting that target.
Disney+ has officially unveiled 10 new originals, with projects from the Netherlands, France, Germany, and Italy. It looks like a little something for everyone, with the originals spanning dramas, comedies, and documentaries.
Those 10 new originals will go ahead and put Disney a fifth of the way toward its target of commissioning 50 productions by 2024. Not a bad way to start off!
It looks like the U.K. might be next up. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the streaming giant is also readying its slate of U.K. originals, as well.
In addition to the new European originals, Disney+ has also created two new roles to oversee international expansion. Sofía Fábregas has been appointed as VP original productions, Iberia, and Benjamina Mirnik-Voges has been appointed as VP original productions, Germany. Both roles will be tasked with the development and productions of local Disney-branded and Star-branded originals for Disney+.
Here’s a list of the 10 new originals commissioned by Disney+.
Oussekine – Star
This four-part mini-series for Star will go over the true events of December 5, 1986 that led to the death of a young student named Malik Oussekine. It centers on his family’s fight for justice, and will examine the impact his death had on French society. The series is created and directed by Antoine Chevrollier (Baron Noir) and co-written by Faïza Guène, Julien Lilti, and Cédric Ido.
Weekend Family – Disney+
Created by Baptise Filleul (La Foret), this Disney+ comedy chronicles the life of a stepfamily that meets up every weekend. But when the father starts a new relationship, the weekends take on a whole different turn.
Parallels – Disney+
This is a six-part fantasy adventure series from Marianne creator Quoc Dang Tran, and co-written by Anastasia Heinzl. It follows four teenagers whose lives are turned upside down when a mysterious event sends them into parallel dimensions. Filming is already underway.
Soprano: Sing or Die – Star
This documentary series will offer exclusive access to one of France’s most popular recording artists, as he prepares for a massive stadium tour in 2022. It’s also expected to trace Soprano’s story from humble beginnings in Marseilles to his present-day success.
Sam – A Saxon – Star
From international Emmy Award-winner Jörg Winger (Deutschland 83), this eight-part series tells the real-life story of Samuel Meffire, who was East Germany’s first Black police officer. The series will explore how Meffire became a media sensation, and a symbol of modern society in the post-reunification 1990s — only to end up behind bars as an enemy of the state.
Sultan City – Star
This is a dark comedy thriller from up-and-coming producers Ayla Gottschlich and Aysel Yilmaz. It follows the respectable matriarch of a German-Turkish family who accidentally becomes the head of a criminal underworld, and discovers she and her daughters have a talent for the business.
The Good Mothers – Star
House Productions (Brexit: The Uncivil War) and Wildside will produce this six-part series based on a book of the same name by Alex Perry. The series is a mafia story told entirely from the women’s perspectives. It follows the shocking true story of three women born into the most deadly and wealthy of the Italian mafia clans — and how they worked with a female prosecutor to bring it all down.
The Ignorant Angels – Star
From Turkish-Italian director Ferzan Ozpetek comes this romantic drama inspired by the 2001 Italian box office hit Le Fate Ignoranti. It follows Antonia, who discovers that her husband was having a same-sex affair before he was killed in a car accident. She’s devastated at the news, but she finds herself building an unexpected friendship with her husband’s former lover.
Boris – Star
A show-within-a-show that already generated three seasons and a movie is returning to Star for a six-part season. The original show followed the behind-the-scenes world of a low-budget medical drama, and the new season for Star will see the hapless crew reunite to produce a show for a global streaming platform.
Feyenoord Rotterdam – Star
Produced by Lusus Media, this eight-part series goes behind the scenes of Dutch professional soccer club Feyenoord Rotterdam — one of the most famous soccer teams in the Netherlands. It’s the first time a TV series has captured the inner workings of a Dutch soccer club.