Netflix’s “1899”: Can the creators of “Dark” repeat the success, but without time travel?

Before time and space travel became the allies of adventure fiction, the greatest human deeds (and infamies) were set at sea. “Treasure Island”, the Sandokan saga and even the melancholic “Moby Dick” had in common that which is deep, mysterious and dangerous. “” of he wants to recover that feeling of discovery, but in the form of a thriller.

Created by Baran Bo Odar & Jantje Friese, the screenwriting-husband couple behind the mega-hit “”, “1899″ is set at the end of the 19th century, where a diverse group of passengers aboard the Cerberus ship leaves for New York to find a new life. Or rather, flee from his past. On the way, the boat finds the Prometheus, a ship that has been lost for months and inside which they find a child clinging to a small black pyramid.

Passengers from multiple origins, hallucinations that could very well be memories, and the feeling of not knowing what is happening abound in each episode. At times the series is more reminiscent of “Lost”, but without extending the plot unnecessarily.

Asked if creating this series was easier than “Dark”, characterized by its complex structure, the screenwriter Jantje Friese bought making a series with giving birth to a baby, because “you forget how strong the pain was once the delivery is over ”. “They were very different problems that occurred in the process. I think one of the big changes from ‘1899’ that we didn’t have in ‘Dark’ was the multi-language aspect. We really tried to stay true (to the languages), it made us nervous. We had writers from those countries, but also translators, language assistants. That was very difficult. Structurally, finding our way in the narrative, it was kind of like (to Dark),” she contended.

If there is interest in “1899”, it is because of the expectation created by “Dark”, if the creators can offer another cult phenomenon. Did the showrunners have that in mind when developing their new series? “No, we don’t have that in mind. Maybe for a couple of days, weeks or hours. But always our focus is to do something that we would love to see and I think that helps, to stay true to yourself, instead of trying to please everyone.”

For his part, Andreas Pietschmann, who plays Captain Eyk Larsen, talked about working again with Odar and Friese, who chose him to play the future version of the protagonist of “Dark”, Jonas. “They are great people. Privately, they are fun and interesting. On the other hand, they are great creators. They have very beautiful ideas, they are very patient and they guide me and push me to extremes. They have helped me alot”. Will the wave replicate? The prognosis is guarded.

“1899”

More details

All 8 episodes of “1899″ hit Netflix on Thursday, November 17.

The series also features the participation of Spanish actor Miguel Bernardeau, who became known for his work on “Elite.”

Skip Enter | Trailer for “1899”. (Source: Netflix)

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Netflix’s “1899”: Can the creators of “Dark” repeat the success, but without time travel?