It’s Not Just ‘Squid Game’: Netflix Int’l Highlights With Omar Sy, Matthias Schweigh?fer
For fans of international TV, news of the return of South Korean smash hit Squid Game for a third and final season was the big takeaway from Netflix’s global program showcase this week. But beyond the bloodsport, Netflix’s international line-up included several tantalizing new projects, featuring some of the world’s biggest stars, including French actor Omar Sy, German talent Matthias Schweigh?fer, and Mexican VIP Alfonso Herrera, who all unveiled new local originals for the streaming giant.
Sy, who went from local to global superstar on the back of Netflix’s Lupin, will bring his latest feature, French Lover, to the platform this year. The romantic drama sees Sy falling for Marion (The Bureau actress Sara Giraudeau), the literal girl next door. Schweigh?fer, whose 2021 action comedy Army of Thieves, was a surprise hit for Netflix, returns with Brick, from Tribes of Europe director Philip Koch. The high-concept sci-fi thriller reteams Schweigh?fer with his Army of Thieves co-star Ruby O. Fee as a couple who wake up to find their apartment building surrounded by a mysterious brick wall and have to work with their neighbors to find a way out. Mexican star Herrera, who gained international recognition in Ozark and Rebel Moon, unveiled new details of Las Muertas, a limited series from director Luis Estrada based on Jorge Ibargüengoitia’s novel about a pair of pimp sisters who kidnap girls for their brothels, killing them when they are no longer good for business.
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Here’s a quick run-down of some of the other scripted and non-scripted international highlights coming from Netflix this year.
Europe
France: Alongside Omar Sy’s French Lover, Netflix in France will be bowing Alain Chabat’s animated series Astérix & Obélix: The Big Fight, based on the beloved comics, and the Néro, a period thriller series starring Pio Marma? (The Three Musketeers).
Germany: Soccer fans could turn up for Poldi, a new documentary on Cologne and German national team legend Lukas Podolski, while those jonesing for a return of German high school dramedy How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast) will finally get their fix, with the series, which finished its season 3 in 2021, final returning for S4 on April 8.
Italy: Netflix’s most ambitious Italian project to date, Il Gattopardo, a series adaptation of Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s epic novel, the basis of Luchino Visconti’s 1963 Oscar-nominated classic, will premiere on the platform on March 5. Benedetta Porcaroli and Deva Cassel star. Paolo Sorrentino’s Parthenope will get its pay 1 window on Netflix on Feb. 6. Non-scripted Italian highlights include local versions of Love is Blind and Too Hot to Handle.
Spain: Following the success of Berlin and Society of the Snow, Netflix Spain expands its slate with the thriller She Walks in Darkness and the sports documentary Alcaraz: A Mi Manera, chronicling tennis star Carlos Alcaraz.
Poland: The disaster drama Heweliusz, inspired by Poland’s worst maritime tragedy, headlines an ambitious local lineup, alongside the second season of the satirical comedy 1670 and the hip-hop talent show Rhythm + Flow Poland.
Nordics: Troll 2, Roar Uthaug’s sequel to his 2022 monster movie, Netflix’s most-watched non-English-language film, leads the Scandinavian slate. Other anticipated titles include The Glass Dome, The Reserve, and A Copenhagen Love Story.
The Americas
Argentina: Atrapados, an adaptation of Harlan Coben’s Caught, premieres on March 26, while the highly anticipated sci-fi adaptation El Eternauta debuts globally on April 30.
Brazil: The final season of Sintonia headlines the 2025 slate, along with Love is Blind Brazil, dog-facing feature Caramelo, and a documentary on pop star Anitta: Larissa: The Other Side of Anitta.
Canada: The Indigenous-led comedy North of North premieres this spring, alongside the limited series Wayward, created by and starring stand-up talent Mae Martin. Netflix is also producing a documentary on the still-mourned Montreal Expos, the baseball club that left the city in 2004.
Mexico: The Accident returns for a second season, alongside new projects such as Me Late Que Sí and Las Muertas. A documentary on flamboyant singer-songwriter Juan Gabriel is also in production.
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