Netflix’s latest mind-bending series 1899 dropped last week, and it has already proved a big hit for the streaming giant. It went straight into Netflix’s top 10 with almost 80 million hours viewed globally, sitting just behind the latest season of The Crown to take the number two spot, according to Netflix’s own data.
The German mystery-drama is the latest offering from the creators of the critically acclaimed science-fiction thriller Dark, Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar. In it, a migrant steamship heads west to leave the old continent in 1899, as its passengers – a mixed bag of European origins – unite with hopes and dreams for the new century and their future abroad.
But their journey takes an unexpected turn after the discovery of another migrant ship – the Prometheus – adrift on the open sea after being missing for four months. What they find on board will turn their passage to the promised land into a horrifying nightmare.
Although a German production from German showrunners, 1899 is a unique multi-lingual series, featuring an ensemble cast of actors from around the world. Fronting the series is Wythenshawe -born Emily Beecham as a young English doctor, alongside German Andreas Pietschmann as the ship’s world-weary captain, and Welshman Aneurin Barnard as a mysterious man who boards the ship.
It also features actors from Spain, France, Denmark and Hong Kong, who all speak their native language. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly prior to the show’s release, Odar said: “We wanted to do a multilingual show that you treat all these different cultures with respect, and you don't just do it in English, or whatever language, and just pretend that they’re all from these different cultures.
“We wanted to have this beautiful mix of voices and languages.”
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He added that the script was initially written in English, with translators from around the world advising on the parts that needed to be in other languages. As with much of its foreign language content, Netflix offers viewers the option to watch 1899 with subtitles in many different languages or with dubbed dialogue.
But as some of the actors speak English, if viewers opt to watch the dubbed version, the English-speaking characters will have the voice of the original actor rather than that of a dubbed voice actor. 1899 currently boasts a 79 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and though another series is yet to be greenlit, the creators have already confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that they have ideas for a further two seasons.
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