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Netflix's New Italian Mafia Crime Drama Could Be The Next 'Narcos'

Netflix's New Italian Mafia Crime Drama Could Be The Next 'Narcos'

Suburra is a complex and gripping crime tale set in modern day Rome.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

Hot on the heels of the global success of its hit crime series Gomorrah, Italy's leading independent film and TV production company Cattleya has now unveiled its next major TV project: Suburra.

If you're already worrying about what you're going to do with your life when you finish rinsing season three of Narcos, Netflix's first Italian project could be just what you're looking for.

Suburra is a complex and gripping crime tale set in modern day Rome, combining elements of politics, religion and organised criminal power.

The new drama will be set four years before the events in the film of the same name which was released in 2015. Some of the film's characters will feature in the new Netflix series, along with several new ones.

Credit: Suburra/Netflix

Gina Gardini, who produced the Suburra movie, was showrunner for Cattleya and developed the series over the course of two years.

"The movie is dark and melancholic, the series instead is emotional," Gardini told Screen Daily.

"Though I worked on it for two years, once finished I was still surprised how much of the story is driven by feelings. That is easy to understand considering how a two-hour movie has to compress events and twists, compared to a ten-hour series, which has more time to explore the characters."

Credit: Netflix

There has been some speculation that the new show could be the next Gomorrah. Both series are dark crime tales which were shot on similar budgets.

However, Gardini stresses the two are very different: "Gomorrah has no irony. Its characters are monsters, you don't want to feel any sympathy for them. Suburra on the other hand has lighter moments, and that's typical of Rome. There's a lot of the cynicism that permeates the city. One thing the two have in common is that they're both told from the point of view of evil men."

Credit: Netflix

"This is a tale of dreams and hopes, not one of evil alone", explains writer Barbara Petronio.

"Suburra has a very different pace. There are some episodes that can manage up to ten narrative lines which you never have in Gomorrah".

The focus of the series will be the concept of power, as each of the six main characters struggle to gain it to improve their standing within the community.

"In a world dominated by uncertainty having the power to rule your destiny and control your life is a common desire," explains Gardini.

"It's not only the fear of terrorism, but also economic crisis and the job instability. In such a scenario having the power to obtain what you want is a sexy and universal theme".

Sounds good, and if you pace yourself with Narcos you might even be able to make it stretch out until Suburra premieres on Netflix on October 6.

Featured Image Credit: Netflix

Topics: Netflix