Following the huge success of the Shonda Rhimes-produced Bridgerton, Netflix is looking to produce even more content like that. Now, the streamer has greenlit The Decameron, another soapy period drama produced by the creator of Orange is the New Black.
What’s on Netflix actually got the scoop on The Decameron before anyone else earlier this year in March 2022. Netflix then confirmed the project officially in August 2022.
The series is created by Kathleen Jordan, creator of Netflix’s Teenage Bounty Hunters, and Jenji Kohan executive produced the teen drama alongside her and Orange is the New Black. Jordan will write and serve as the showrunner.
Kohan’s overall deal with Netflix was struck back in November 2017 with her outfit, Titled Productions.
Mike Uppendahl (Ratched, American Crime Story) is set to direct.
Jenji Kohan commented on the project in August 2022:
“Kathleen Jordan is the real freakin’ deal. I am so excited and grateful that I get to work with her and we get to make this awesome, funny, timely, weird show together for Netflix.”
Jenji Kohan – Picture: Getty Images
Jordan executive produces The Decameron with Kohan, Blake McCormick and Tara Herrmann for Tilted Productions as well as Mike Uppendahl. Jordan said:
“I’m absolutely thrilled that I get to work with Jenji, Tara, Blake, and Netflix again. I can’t wait for people to meet this ridiculous group of characters. I’m sure Giovanni Boccaccio would be… confused?”
Here’s everything we know about Netflix’s The Decameron:
What’s the plot of The Decameron?
The new Netflix series is loosely inspired by The Decameron, the famous collection of witty, racy, and sometimes tragic short stories about love by the 14th-century Italian author Giovanni Boccaccio.
The Decameron is set in 1348 when the Black Death, the deadliest pandemic in human history which killed as many as 200 million people, strikes hard in the city of Florence. A handful of nobles are invited to retreat with their servants to a grand villa in the Italian countryside and wait out the pestilence with a lavish holiday. But as social rules wear thin, what starts as a wine-soaked sex romp in the hills of Tuscany descends into an all-out scramble for survival.
The series examines the timely themes of class systems, power struggles, and survival in a time of pandemic with a touch of levity, brought together by a charming and riotous ensemble of characters. Jordan reportedly drew from the period and the setting of The Decameron, considered a masterpiece of classic Italian prose. Still, almost the entirety of her creative vision for the series is original.
Who is cast in The Decameron?
As of August 2022, no cast members have been announced for Netflix’s The Decameron. We’ll update you as soon as there is news.
What’s the production status of The Decameron?
Netflix’s The Decameron is still in active development, meaning the script is currently being written and revised, with pre-production following afterward.
We’ll keep you updated as and when we learn more.
How many episodes will be in The Decameron?
Netflix has confirmed that there will be eight one-hour episodes in the first season of The Decameron.
What’s the Netflix release date for The Decameron?
Netflix hasn’t announced any dates for The Decameron, but considering its very early development stage, we can probably expect only a late 2023 or 2024 release date.