Exclusive: Sky TV series Django to film in Romania from May

Hotly anticipated series Django, starring Matthias Schoenaerts, is set to go into production in Romania from May after years in development.

The high-concept series is a reimagining of the classic western Django and will be produced in English by Italian outfit Cattleya (Gomorrah the Series), which is part of ITV Studios, and French production company Atlantique for Sky and CANAL+.

“We are proud to announce a new ambitious project, Django,” said Nicola Maccanico, EVP programming Sky Italia. “It fits perfectly with Sky Studios' mission to develop and produce the best original content in Europe and that, once again, confirms our restless ambition to use storytelling to explore and break new ground through our Sky Originals. The Western is one of the most traditional and popular genres with Django one of the best loved films in Italy and around the world. This new series is a fresh, reimagining of the cult classic bringing viewers a contemporary angle and narrative.”

Award-winning actor Matthias Schoenaerts (The Danish Girl, The Mustang, Bullhead, Rust and Bone) will star in the title role, Django, for the series, which will have 10 episodes of one hour each.

The first episodes will be directed by Francesca Comencini (Gomorrah the Series), who will also be the series’ artistic director. Django was created and written by Leonardo Fasoli (Gomorrah the Series, ZeroZeroZero) and Maddalena Ravagli (Gomorrah the Series), who, together, also co-wrote the series treatment with Francesco Cenni and Michele Pellegrini, with two episodes written by Max Hurwitz (ZeroZeroZero, Manhunt).

“I was extremely attracted to this project as it features extremely strong female characters and delivers a thought-provoking reappraisal of masculinity in the Western genre. It’s a universal story with a narrative that celebrates diversity and minorities.  I am certain Django will intrigue and captivate global viewers,” said Comencini.

“We are excited to partner again with Francesca Comencini, Leonardo Fasoli and Maddalena Ravagli, a truly outstanding creative team that brought us the hugely popular and critically acclaimed Sky Originals Gomorrah The Series and ZeroZeroZero. Together with CANAL+, Cattleya and Atlantique, we can’t wait to bring this story to life for Sky customers across Europe,” added Maccanico.

Romania has re-opened to international productions, including Around the World in 80 Days, starring David Tenant as Phileas Fogg, which has been shooting in the country since November. The eight-part drama is a Slim Film + Television and Federation co-production for the European Alliance.

One of the chief draws of filming in Romania is its generous 35% cash rebate, rising to a hefty 45% for productions that are specifically set in the country.  Romania was also the first country to announce last month that travellers who have received both doses of the cornavirus vaccine will not need to quarantine on arrival.