Netflix confirms German original

Netflix is following Amazon Prime Instant Video into the German originals market.

The US-based streaming platform confirmed it is making Dark, a “family drama with a supernatural twist”, in the European territory.

News of the series first leaked last week, after it emerged Endemol Shine Germany-backed producer Wiedemann & Berg had won the commission after a major pitching process.

Unusually for Netflix, it has been playing catch-up in Germany, where Amazon launched first and recently confirmed its first original, Wanted.

Dark is set in present day Germany, where the disappearance of two children exposes secrets and lies among four families.

The ten-episode series will debut on Netflix, which is now a global service, in 2017, with production beginning this year.

Swiss-born Baran bo Odar (Who Am I – No System is Safe) has been confirmed as director, with Jantje Friese writing.

“As Dark will be an ensemble mystery series, I especially look forward to discovering and working with new German talent,” said Odar. “This will be a fantastic ride and I can’t wait to get started.”

Quirin Berg and Max Wiedemann (pictured), best known for German film The Lives of Others, are executive producing, with Justyna Müsch also attached in a production role.

“Dark is a milestone for the German market and for us as a company,” said Wiedemann and Berg in a statement.