Nicolas Winding Refn Circling Noir Crime Series Les Italiens

Keen to keep the noir streak burning bright following Drive, Only God Forgives and June’s horror-thriller The Neon Demon, Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn has set up an adaptation of Italian crime series, Les Italiens.

Variety has the scoop, revealing that Netflix is already circling Refn’s nascent project as the platform looks to strengthen its international reach. Based on Enrico Pandiani’s noir series, Les Italiens is right up the director’s alley, too, given it chronicles the trials and tribulations of an all-Italian group of policemen working under Quai des Orfevres, the famous law enforcement HQ of Paris.

Delving deep into the city’s underbelly, Refn’s squad encounter “homicides with political backstories, international secret service intrigues in Eastern Europe and bloody deeds committed in the French countryside, among other atmospheric settings.”

It’s understood Refn plans to direct the pilot episode of the budding new series, which will seemingly span anywhere between eight and ten episodes. Once the first installment is done and dusted, allowing the director to tailor the dark and gritty tone, Refn will then remain attached to Les Italiens as showrunner throughout its inaugural season.

Developed in partnership between the Lucisano Media Group and the director’s own Space Rocket Nation, plans are in place for Les Italiens to enter production before the year’s end, drawing many elements from the French noir thrillers of old.