Netflix has invested nearly $6 billion in United Kingdom programming in the past four years, the streamer revealed on Wednesday.
The company noted that it has invested almost $1.5 billion per year producing films and television series across the United Kingdom – up half a billion dollars each year.
“It’s no secret that the UK produces some of the world’s most iconic entertainment,” Netflix’s vice president of UK Content Anne Mensah said in a statement. “This is true for Netflix, too – from ‘Top Boy’ to ‘The Crown,’ ‘Heartstopper’ to ‘The Tinder Swindler’ – our productions are some of the buzziest, most watched and zeitgeist defining in the world.”
Netflix boasts a total of 232.5 million subscribers globally as of the first quarter of 2023, including 77.37 million in its Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. EMEA revenue declined 6% year over year to $2.5 billion during the quarter and average revenue per user for the region came in at $10.89.
“It is hugely welcome to see Netflix significantly increase its investment in the UK, demonstrating the sheer strength of our TV and film industry as the largest in Europe. Our world renowned British creative industries employ over two million people and are growing at twice the rate of the economy – and Netflix has been a key part of this success. Our creative talent is among the world’s best, producing entertainment that is watched across the globe and creating new jobs and opportunities here at home.”
In addition to its increased investment in the UK, Netflix has committed an additional $2.5 billion to Korean shows and films through 2027.
Upcoming British television projects from Netflix include “Heartstopper” Season 2, “The Witcher” Season 3, “Black Mirror” Season 6 and “The Crown” Season 6. The company has also commissioned three new projects from leading producers in the United Kingdom — “Black Doves,” “Department Q” and “Bank of Dave: The Sequel.”
“Black Doves” stars Keira Knightley as a woman named Helen, who embarks on a passionate affair that endangers her carefully constructed web of subterfuge. Caught in the crosshairs when her lover falls victim to the dangerous and shadowy London underworld, Helen’s employer’s call in Sam to protect her. Set over Christmas, against the backdrop of rising diplomatic tensions, in a heightened world with wit, flair and high-stakes action sequences, “Black Doves” is the story of two old friends coming back together, finding trust in one another in a world where trust can get you killed and, ultimately, changing the course of each other’s lives forever.
The series is created and written by Joe Bartan (“Giri/Haji,” “The Bastard Son and the Devil Himself,” “The Lazarus Project”) and produced by Noisy Bear and SISTER (“Chernobyl,” “This Is Going To Hurt,” “The Power”). Knightley, Barton, Jane Featherstone and Chris Fry serve as executive producers.
“Department Q,” an eight-part adaptation of author Jussi Adler-Olsen’s novels of the same name, centers around Carl, a former top-rated detective in Edinburgh assigned to a new cold case whilst wracked with guilt following an attack that left his partner paralysed and another policeman dead.
The adaptation, which comes from Chandni Lakhani, is produced by Left Bank Pictures and lead-directed by Scott Frank (“The Queen’s Gambit,” “Godless”). Lakhani, Frank, Rob Bullock and Andy Harries serve as executive producers. Filming will take place in Edinburgh.
“The fact that I have been a fan of Jussi’s novels for a dozen years now combined with my long standing obsession with old school British procedurals like ‘Cracker’ and ‘Prime Suspect,’ made this one irresistible,” Frank said in a statement. “There are 10 novels in all, each one is a terrific mystery with great potential for a great season of television. And Carl Mørck is one of those classic detective antiheroes, funny and dark at the same time, that I can never get enough of. I think audiences will feel the same way.”
“Bank of Dave: The Sequel” follows Dave Fishwick as he takes on a new and more dangerous adversary: The Payday Lenders. In order to take them down and protect some of the most vulnerable members of communities across Britain, Dave has to risk everything – including the community bank he founded two years ago, his liberty and, on occasion, even his life. The series, which is based on a true story, is produced by Piers Tempest, Tempo Productions and Future Artists and directed by Chris Foggin.
