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“Dark” has been handed a second season order at Netflix. The semi-supernatural drama is currently enjoying a golden moment and is one of the shows out of Germany that is generating buzz further afield.
As usual, Netflix has not shared viewing stats, but said “Dark” is one of “the most-watched entirely non-English shows” on its global service. It highlighted the U.S., Brazil, Italy, Turkey, Spain and France as countries where it is resonating strongly.
The drama is an original for Netflix as the streaming giant beefs up locally commissioned fare. The series has been compared to “Stranger Things,” but Netflix’s VP for international originals, Kelly Luegenbiehl, said it stood on its own.
“When we first heard about ‘Dark,’ we realized very early on that we hadn’t seen anything like this show before – in Germany or anywhere else in the world,” she said. “’Dark’ is a testament that great storytelling transcends geography.”
The series premiered at this year’s Toronto Film Festival and rolled out on Netflix this month. Set in the German town of Winden, it follows events after the disappearance of two young children, and the double lives and fractured relationships among four families. A supernatural element emerges, relating to events from an earlier generation.
“Dark” was created by Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese. Both also serve as executive producers along with Luegenbiehl, Erik Barmack, Quirin Berg, Amanda Krentzman, and Justyna Müsch.
Endemol Shine Group-backed producer Wiedemann & Berg makes the series. Showrunners bo Odar and Friese return for the second season and said in a statement: “We are overwhelmed by the response to ‘Dark’ and are thrilled that our story has been a success with a global audience. And our fans can be sure that we have plenty of surprises in store for the second season of ‘Dark.’”
