Decameron. (L to R) Zosia Mamet as Pampinea and Saoirse-Monica Jackson as Misia in Episode 102 of Decameron. Giulia Parmigiani/Netflix © 2024
Netflix is set to release a new series, The Decameron, a soapy period drama comedy set during the Black Death produced by the creator of Orange is the New Black.
The series has been 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.
What’s on Netflix first reported The Decameron in March 2022 with Netflix subsequently confirming the project in August 2022. Kohan notably works with Netflix under an overall deal that was struck in November 2017 with her outfit, Titled Productions.
Mike Uppendahl (Ratched, American Crime Story) is set to direct episodes 1, 2, 7, and 8. Andrew DeYoung will direct episodes 3 and 4, while Anya Adams will direct episodes 5 and 6.
Jordan wrote episodes 1 and 2, plus co-wrote the season finale. Other writers on the series include James Rogers III, Anthony Natoli, Megan King Kelly, Marie Hanhnhon Nguyen, Zoe Jarman, and Stephen Unckles.
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.”
Kathleen 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:
When will The Decameron be released on Netflix?
As part of the Netflix is a Joke festival where Netflix announced key dates for upcoming comedy titles such as Cobra Kai, Unstable season 2 and Emily in Paris, the streamer confirmed the new series will debut at some point in July 2024.
We’ll keep you posted on an exact release date as and when we get it.
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 that killed as many as 200 million people, strikes hard in Florence. A handful of nobles are invited to retreat with their servants to a grand villa in the Italian countryside and await 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 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, which is considered a masterpiece of classic Italian prose. Still, almost the entirety of her creative vision for the series is original.
Per Netflix, here’s the official synopsis:
“The Decameron is a soapy period dramedy that aims to examine the timely themes of class systems, power struggles, and survival in a time of pandemic, brought to life by an ensemble of characters both ridiculous and ill-fated. Set in 1348, the Black Death 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.”
Who is cast in The Decameron?
In mid-December 2022, Netflix announced a cast of at least ten members that will feature in Netflix’s The Decameron.
Here’s a full breakdown of who will star and their character names in The Decameron:
- Amar Chadha-Patel (Willow) as Dioneo
- Saoirse Jackson (Derry Girls) as Misia
- Tony Hale (Arrested Development) as Sirisco
- Zosia Mamet (The Kids Are All Right) as Pampinea
- Tanya Reynolds (Sex Education) as Licisca
- Leila Farzad (I Hate Suzie) as Stratilia
- Lou Gala (Pourquoi je vis) as Neifile
- Jessica Plummer (The Girl Before) as Filomena
- Karan Gill (Screw) as Panfilo
- Douggie McMeekin (Chernobyl) as Tindaro
Cast grid for The Decameron on Netflix
What’s the production status of The Decameron? Where is the new series filming?
Pre-production on the show took place throughout the latter stages of 2022, with the cameras officially rolling from January 2023. The series will film throughout much of 2023, with the current wrap date expected to be June 9th, 2023.
The series is being filmed in Rome, Italy, and Viterbo, Italy (around a 2-hour drive from Rome).
On January 10th, 2023, Jenji Kohan posted on Instagram that filming was underway with the caption, “First day of shooting!”
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.
Are you looking forward to The Decameron coming soon to Netflix? Let us know in the comments down below.
Note: This article contains contributions from Tigran Asatryan.