Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese are pulling back the veil on their new puzzle box show.
That’s what we tried to do.
And basically just concentrate on what we want to do and what we want to tell."
Fflyn Edwards as Elliot in ‘1899’.Netflix
Her partner feels differently though.
Mystery #1: What’s the genre?
“I would say it’s a drama mystery show, or maybe a mystery thriller.
Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese.Leon Bennett/Getty Images
Mystery #2: Is it truly multicultural and multilingual?
“We do love challenges,” Odar says with a laugh.
We wanted to have this beautiful mix of voices and languages.”
Mystery #3: Is time travel involved at all?
SorryDarkfans, no time-travel wormholes here.
Odar promises another “very interesting, weird theme” to1899, but can’t reveal what it is.
Mystery #4: What should Dark fans expect from 1899?
I think you have to watch carefully, because every little piece means something."
Mystery #5: Does the story have anything to do with the Bermuda Triangle?
Friese and Odar are coy when asked about it.
“It’s definitely an association that a lot of people have,” Friese says.
Odar adds, “But is it the right one?
You will have to see.”
Naturally, that’s by design, and is something fans should look out for as they watch.
According to Friese, creating the mythology of one of their shows is a long, painstaking process.
“Slowly you build your own mythology and set of rules.
It’s really a long, long process.
And that’s the same here again, now with the pattern pyramid and the triangles.
It’s all rooted in one core idea.
And then you make a run at find ways to incorporate it throughout the story.”
Mystery #6: What is volume technology and why was it used for 1899?
“We hate green screen, always did.
Literally, it’s bad.
It’s really bad.
“But then the pandemic happens.
So it was obviously challenging and not possible to do it in a traditional way.”
Someone at Netflix mentioned the volume tech, and Odar and Friese were very impressed by how it looked.
“[It’s] definitely not easier, really,” he says.
“We prepped a year to get there, because it is a beast that you have to understand.
But you’re free to create huge worlds with it.”
And he’s not just talking major landscapes, but also more intimate set pieces, too.
We could create a huge dining room only with the volume tech.”
Mystery #7: Is this a limited series?
If all goes according to plan, fans have many more episodes to look forward to.
“It’s structured again as a three-season mystery puzzle just likeDark,” Friese explains.
So hopefully, ultimately, that is happening.
