Netflix And Amazon Prepare To Restart Production In France

Netflix and Amazon are ready to get back to work as they prepare to restart productions in France. According to Variety, cameras will start rolling soon for Netflix’s Arsene Lupin and Amazon’s Voltaire, Mixte.

Produced by En Voiture Simone, Voltaire, Mixte is expected to start production in the south of France in mid-July. Set in 1960s France, the series takes place in an all-male high school in a time when women are allowed in for the first time. Voltaire, Mixte will look at the relationships and “hormonal fireworks” of the time. And it will cover topics such as love, emancipation, sexuality, and self-acceptance.

“Voltaire, Mixte is a school-based drama like you’ve never seen before. We’re very excited to be working with the extremely talented Marie Roussin on a series that will deal with the societal and sexual revolution of 1960s France,” Georgia Brown, Director of European Amazon Original series for Prime Video said in a statement. “It is mischievous, bold and deeply rooted in highly charged, compelling characters.”

On the other hand, Arsene Lupin, which Gaumont is producing, won’t be back on track until September. The series starring Omar Sy was filming at the Louvre museum when production stopped. The upcoming Netflix series has been adapted from the Maurice LeBlanc novels which were penned in 1905. And it is a retelling of the classic French story about the titular gentleman thief and master of disguise. Although the books have been adapted to films and series a number of times, this Netflix adaptation is the first version to have a black lead actor.

Aside from those, domestic production is also set to resume in France in June with a pair of big-budget dramas from Pathe. The first one is the period drama Eiffel starring Romain Duris and Sex Education star Emma Mackey. The second is Fred Cavayé’s Second World War drama Adieu Monsieur Haffmann starring Daniel Auteuil and Gilles Lellouche.

Prioritizing the reopening of its entertainment industry, the French government has launched a temporary indemnity fund created by the National Film Board (CNC) in collaboration with the regions and private partners, including banks, loan institutions, and insurers. Although details of the fund remain sparse, it is expected to be extended to film and TV productions that have been interrupted or canceled during the pandemic.

In addition to France, several other countries have also started reopening their film industries. Earlier this month, Italy has reopened for filming along with Czech specifically in Prague. Certain policies and procedures have been put in place including COVID-19 testing for all cast and crew involved on the project and occasional on-set temperature checks.