The “Extraction” universe is expanding at Netflix.
The streaming service has greenlit a new series set in the same world as its Chris Hemsworth-led “Extraction” films, with Omar Sy in the lead role.
Former “Walking Dead” writer Glen Mazzara has been tapped as the thriller series’ showrunner and he will executive produce alongside AGBO’s Anthony and Joe Russo and Angela Russo-Otstot, as well as Scott Nemes, Chris Castaldi, Eric Gitter, Peter Schwerin and “Extraction” director Sam Hargrave.
“Audiences are in for a thrill as we delve deeper into the ‘Extraction’ universe,” Peter Friedlander, vice president of Scripted Series at Netflix, said in a Thursday statement. “With Omar Sy leading the charge, our collaboration with the Russos alongside Glen Mazzara, fans can expect even more of the high-octane adventures they love from the ‘Extraction’ franchise.”
The new eight-episode series will follow a mercenary (Sy) as he embarks on a deadly mission to rescue hostages in Libya, where he finds himself trapped between “warring factions and ruthless killers.” Sy, for his part, is already the star of the popular French Netflix series, “Lupin.”
Known for their maximalist action sequences, the “Extraction” films center on a black ops mercenary (Hemsworth) who is hired to extract imprisoned hostages from dangerous international locations. Both movies were written by Joe Russo and based on the 2014 “Ciudad” graphic novel he made with his brother Anthony, Ande Parks, Fernando León González and Eric Skillman.
“I’m a very lucky man. Omar is a huge talent,” Mazzara said in his own statement. “Joe, Anthony and Angela have welcomed me into the AGBO family. The team at Netflix is truly the best I’ve ever worked with. Very lucky indeed.”
This new “Extraction” TV series continues Netflix’s campaign to build more of its own, in-house franchises as well as the streaming service’s ongoing partnership with the Russo Brothers. To date, the two parties have already collaborated on not just “Extraction” and “Extraction 2,” but also the Russo Brothers’ 2022 Ryan Gosling-starring spy film “The Gray Man” and the duo’s upcoming sci-fi feature, “The Electric State,” which is set to premiere March 14 on Netflix.
“AGBO is grateful to collaborate once again with our partners at Netflix,” AGBO CCO Russo-Otstot commented Thursday. “We were inspired to tell more stories in this global franchise, further exploring heroic yet flawed mercenaries who illuminate universal themes. Glen Mazzara truly excels at sophisticated and nuanced explorations in the genre series space, and we are thrilled to have the exceptional talents of Omar Sy at the center of our action-packed, multi-narrative mission.”
