Netflix making first Chinese-language original series: A jailbreak thriller

NETFLIX on Friday announced its first Chinese-language original series: a jailbreak thriller produced by the team that made the hit miniseries ‘ The Teenage Psychic'.

‘Bardo' will be an eight- episode thriller that aims to capture real stories of modern society in an “Asian drama” style.

Singapore-based IFA Media will team up with Sam Quah, a Malaysian-born director who lives in Taipei, and Taiwanese screenwriter Lily Chen on the project.

‘Bardo' follows the journey of Ah Quan, a decent man who descended into crime and waits in prison for execution. An encounter with a mysterious inmate causes him to experience events from alternative timelines.

“A supernatural premise, a production team that's created regional hits, and an up- andcoming director who's received international acclaim -- all of this has Netflix excited about ‘Bardo,'” said Erik Barmack, vice president of international original series at Netflix.

Meanwhile, Baidu's iQiyi – a top video portal in China with nearly 500 million monthly viewers – has agreed to a deal that will see it show some Netflix content.

Netflix previously said that regulatory barriers had prevented it from launching its service in China.

“We'd love to have a direct relationship in China and it's just a matter of when and how, and that's something that we're trying to figure out over time,” says Robert Roy, Netflix's vicepresident of content acquisition.