Netflix Commissions French Drama Series ‘Marseille’

With its international market expanding faster than its American one, Netflix has decided to aggressively pursue European audiences. Latest case in point, the premium on-demand streaming video service announced its latest original series Marseille will be based and shot entirely in France.

The show will introduce viewers to the story of Robert Taro, the mayor of the town of Marseille for 25 years, who now has to fight his chosen heir in the upcoming elections. Penned by Dan Franck (famous for the mini-series Carlos), the crime-infused drama promises to have lots of political intrigue, maybe even in a House of Cards-esque style.

“Marseille is an ambitious, diabolically smart fictitious exploration of local politics in one of the world’s most vibrant and fascinating cities,” said Netflix content chief Ted Sarandos, in an interview with Variety. “We are delighted to be working with some of the best storytellers in France to deliver a series that erases the line between film and television.”

Previously, the online video distributor announced its new original series called The Crown, which is set to be its biggest investment yet at roughly $170 million dollars (£100 million). Set in Britain, written by Britons, and focusing on the life of British monarch Queen Elizabeth II, the show is obviously aimed at serving Netflix’s UK market and attracting more viewers from that country.

Marseille will be available to all Netflix subscribers starting in late 2015. In the meantime, you may want to brush up on your French — or you can turn on one of your favorite Netflix shows and rely on subtitles.