Pictures via Netflix
For over a decade, Netflix has built a rich, diverse tapestry of original content. With thousands of originals available to stream, we’ve examined six of Netflix’s most popular television shows and determined which countries should consider adapting them.
With over half the Netflix library occupied by Netflix Originals, subscribers are spoilt for choice. This also meant there were plenty of options to choose from when determining which of Netflix’s best Originals should be adapted by various countries worldwide and why we think we should have a shot at it.
Squid Game - USA
Before anyone rolls their eyes at the first entry in the list, we want an English adaptation of Netflix’s most popular series because of the rumors circulating that David Fincher (Mindhunter, Fight Club, Seven) is already “quietly” working on the adaptation.
Few filmmakers would we trust more to take on an English adaptation of Squid Game than David Fincher.
PARIS, FRANCE – OCTOBER 13: Director David Fincher attends the ‘The Killer’ Netflix Premiere at Cinematheque Francaise on October 13, 2023 in Paris, France. (Photo by Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
What would that adaptation look like, and what tone would it set? If Fincher’s previous work is any indication, an English adaptation could be even darker than its South Korean counterpart.
A shot-for-shot remake is questionable. Squid or Ojingo is an actual children’s game in Korea and wouldn’t be culturally relevant or believable with an English adaptation set in the USA. With many American children’s games to choose from, it would be interesting to see how Fincher would approach this.
The USA is often described as a third-world country wearing a Gucci belt, and given the nation’s obsession with wealth and materialistic things, it is primed and ready to take on Squid Game.
Fans can look forward to more Squid Game soon as Netflix has revealed that the second season will arrive sometime in 2024.
Picture: One of the first look images of Squid Game season 2 – Netflix
The Empress - China
The Empress is currently one of the most successful German Netflix Originals on the platform, and a second season is on the way soon. The show is centered around the early years of the reign of Empress Elisabeth of Austria and is just one of several Empresses from history deserving of a biopic drama.
In recent memory, some of the most renowned Empresses have received biopic dramas, such as HBO’s Catherine the Great, starring Helen Mirren, and ITV’s Victoria, starring Jenna Coleman.
Picture: Devrim Lingnau as Elisabeth (left) and Philip Froissant as Franz (right)
Despite several empresses from the French, Byzantine, and Holy Roman Empires deserving of biopic dramas, our attention is further east to China, to the 19th-century Qing dynasty during the reign of Empress Dowager Cixi.
Cixi ruled as Empress dowager and regent of the Qing dynasty for 47 years, from 1861 to 1908. As a member of the Xianfeng’s concubine, she was the only one to give birth to an heir, Zaichun. Upon the death of the Emporer, and her son was only five years old, she became the co-dowager empress alongside the Xianfeng’s widow, Empress Dowager Ci’an.
However, at 18, Zaichun succumbed to smallpox, and as the only living heir of the previous dynasty, this created a succession crisis. With her position as co-Dowager threatened by the power vacuum created by her son’s death, Cixi swiftly consolidated her control over the Qing dynasty by outing a group of regents formerly appointed by her late husband and installing her nephew as the Guangxu Emperor.
Picture: Empress Dowager Cixi
Empress Dowager Cixi has her place in modern culture and has been portrayed several times in Chinese movies and television shows. However, none would have the same global presence that Netflix has to offer.
House of Cards - France
Lilyhammer was the first “Netflix Original,” but House of Cards was the first full-fledged Netflix Original series produced by the streaming service. Given we’re several years on since House of Cards ended, the franchise is ripe for a new adaptation elsewhere.
Netflix’s House of Cards is an adaptation of the British series of the same name, so returning to the UK would be considerably easier, but certainly low-hanging fruit.
Picture: Ian Richardson as Francis Urquhart in House of Cards – BBC
Instead, the idea of the series being focused on the political discourse of France intrigues us greatly.
The character François or Françoise (played by Marion Cotillard?) would be a welcome return to the Machiavellian politician scheming and backstabbing their way to the very top of their nation’s politics. However, real-life political discourse could pave the way and inspire the story for a French adaptation. Between the Russian invasion of Ukraine, politics within the EU left and right-wing populism, farmers’ protests, and workers’ protests, there is arguably no nation more suited for a House of Cards adaptation than France.
This photograph taken on September 16, 2023, shows the Salon Dore, office of France’s presidents, in the Elysee Palace, which is open for the public during the ‘European Heritage Days’ in Paris. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP) (Photo by LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images)
The Glory - Britain
It’s hard to explain, but there is something about The Glory that screams British adaptation. But it wouldn’t surprise us if networks such as the BBC and ITV haven’t already been discussing with Netflix to take their viral Korean crime-thrillers and adapt them for a British audience.
One of the most gripping crime thrillers on the streaming service, the story resonated with audiences worldwide. With hundreds of millions of views, the only Korean titles outperforming the series are Squid Game, and All of Us Are Dead.
With many exceptionally talented British actresses to choose from, filling the role of Song Hye Kyo’s Moon Dong Eun would be a cinch.
Picture: Song Hye-Kyo in The Glory – Netflix
Money Heist - India
Álex Pina’s Money Heist was an astonishing hit on Netflix all around the globe. One of the most fascinating heist shows in recent memory, including its prequel series Berlin, the Money Heist franchise has captured the hearts and imaginations of subscribers everywhere.
Given the show’s popularity, nearly any country could have its adaptation of Money Heist. Still, with significant regional investment, it made sense for Netflix to opt for a South Korean adaptation. What was unexpected was how much the series struggled to capture the same magic as its Spanish counterpart despite being almost a shot-for-shot remake.
Picture: The cast of Money Heist Korea- Joint Economic Area – Netflix
If Netflix wishes to pursue another adaptation of Money Heist in the future, then there is arguably no more fabulous country than India. With the magic of Bollywood and the popularity of the Money Heist franchise in the country, it would be a recipe for success.
Whether a new story is needed or another shot-for-shot remake work, we believe that an Indian adaptation, set in the same world where the events of the original Money Heist took place, would see an Indian heist team inspired by the Professor’s actions conduct their heist, which would kickstart a crime wave of other heists taking on governments all around the world.
Characters from the Spanish TV show “Money Heist” are painted on a building facade in Mumbai December 15, 2021. (Photo by Punit PARANJPE / AFP) (Photo by PUNIT PARANJPE/AFP via Getty Images)
The Witcher - Poland
The Witcher should have been Netflix’s equivalent to HBO’s Game of Thrones and Amazon’s The Rings of Power. Sadly, for many, The Witcher on Netflix has been seen as a colossal fumble and one of the greatest wastes of a popular fantasy IP since Fox’s adaptation of Christopher Paolini’s Eragon.
Henry Cavill’s departure as lead character Geralt of Rivia is one of many reasons why longtime fans of The Witcher franchise have turned away from Netflix’s adaptation. Despite a fourth season on the way, faith in the franchise has been lost, and there’s a chance a fifth season may not happen.
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 28: (L to R) Anya Chalotra, Henry Cavill, Freya Allan and Joey Batey attend the UK Premiere of “The Witcher” Season 3 at Outernet London on June 28, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Dave Benett/WireImage)
To restore faith in The Witcher IP, there would be no better country to adapt the story to than Andrzej Sapkowski’s home country of Poland.
If a Polish adaptation at Netflix were to happen, this would be the second time the country has taken on Andrzej Sapkowski’s beloved novels. In 2002, a Polish adaptation of The Witcher was released. However, it was given the title The Hexer, and while it has all the charm of an early 2000s fantasy series, over twenty years on, it hasn’t aged well.
Picture: Michal Zebrowski as Geralt in The Hexer
The Witcher is held in extremely high regard in Poland, not only because author Andrzej Sapkowski is Polish but also because much of The Witcher is highly inspired by Polish and Eastern European folklore. While the franchise doesn’t have the same outreach as A Song of Ice and Fire or The Lord of the Rings, Andrzej Sapkowski is very much Poland’s own George R R Martin or J R R Tolkien.
If Netflix wants to restore faith in The Witcher IP, letting the Polish take on their adaptation could remedy what the franchise desperately needs.
If we’ve missed any Netflix Originals you would like to see adapted by different countries, please feel free to share and discuss in the comments below!
Rating: TV-MA
