Netflix Orders 3 UK Projects – ‘Black Doves’, ‘Department Q’ & ‘Bank Of Dave: The Sequel’
Netflix has placed orders for three new UK-based projects, whilst also revealing that by the end of 2023, they will have spent around $6 Billion on UK content over the last four years.
The new projects include a thriller from brilliant screenwriter Joe Barton (‘The Lazarus Project’) starring Keira Knightley; An adaptation of Jussi Adler-Olsen‘s best-selling novel series; And a sequel to the biographical comedy about the life of Dave Fishwick. Here is a bit more about each one:
‘Black Doves‘ comes from Joe Barton, the man behind Sky’s ‘The Lazarus Project’, the critically acclaimed series ‘Giri/Haji’, and Netflix’s ‘The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself’. Keira Knightley takes the lead as Helen, a woman with a secret identity who embarks on a passionate affair. When her lover falls victim to London’s shadowy underworld, Helen’s employers send an old friend, Sam, to protect her. The two of them soon embark on a high-octane adventure set against a backdrop of diplomatic tension and Christmas. It’s 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 produced by Barton’s Noisy Bear and Sister (‘Chernobyl’). Barton and Knightley exec produce with Jane Featherstone and Chris Fry for Sister.
‘Department Q‘ comes from Left Bank Pictures, the people behind ‘The Crown’, and is an adaptation of the novel series by award-winning Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen. The series centres 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.
Chandni Lakhani, who previously worked on BBC’s ‘Vigil’ and ‘Dublin Murders’, is set to pen the scripts. Scott Frank, writer/director of ‘The Queen’s Gambit’, will direct the eight-episode series. Frank, Rob Bullock (‘The Night Manager’, ‘Strike Back’) and Andy Harries (‘The Crown’, ‘Outlander’) exec produce.
‘Bank Of Dave: The Sequel’ is, as the name rather suggests, a film sequel to the biographical comedy film ‘Bank Of Dave’ which was released on Netflix in January 2023. The original film was based on the true-life experiences of Dave Fishwick, played by Rory Kinnear (‘The Diplomat’, Our Flag Means Death’, Black Mirror’), a working-class Burnley man and self-made millionaire who fought to set up a community bank so he could help the local businesses of Burnley not only survive, but thrive. The sequel continues that story as Dave 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.
Chris Foggin returns to direct ‘Bank Of Dave: The Sequel’. Tempo Productions and Future Artists also return to produce the film.
News of these three commissions came at a London showcase last night where Netflix revealed they had spent an average of around $1.5BN on UK films and TV series each year since 2020. Anne Mensah, Netflix VP of UK Content added that the streamer is “deeply committed to the UK,” and the $6BN figure represents “an increase of nearly 50% on what we originally anticipated.”
‘Department Q‘, ‘Black Doves‘ and ‘Bank Of Dave: The Sequel’ do not have premiere dates as they have just been announced, but will air on Netflix UK and worldwide. If you want to keep track of these or any other series, add them via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when they get a UK premiere date.
