Netflix has been making all the right moves by producing their own original series. First came Lilyhammer and House of Cards, then shows like Arrested Development Season 4 and Orange is the New Black, and now, the streaming-service-turned-viable-network is trying their luck with an extremely popular niche: historical fiction. Deadline reports that Netflix has just closed a deal with the Weinstein Co. to produce a nine-episode Marco Polo series, from Kon-Tiki (and soon Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales) directors Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg. The show was originally setup at Starz, but was abandoned, allowing Netflix to swoop in and take the exciting challenge. The show is set in 13th Century China, a world "replete with astonishing martial arts, sexual intrigue, political skullduggery and spectacular battles." This is undoubtedly the biggest and most elaborate series Netflix has taken on so far, so it will be interesting and exciting to see how it turns out. As of right now, there's no word on when it will premiere, but the episodes will begin shooting soon in Malaysia.
James is a 24 year old writer and filmmaker living in Portland, OR. He attended college for graphic design and writes for various sources on the web about film, television, and entertainment.
You can view all of his work on his website, www.thereeljames.wordpress.com
