The US network is also turning Richie Rich the world’s richest kid, who made his first appearance in the 1950s comic series and on the big screen in 1994 with the Macaulay Culkin film into a live-action series on Netflix.
This new iteration has Richie, played by Jake Brennan (Dark Skies) as more of a boy wonder than a child of rich parents, as in the past.
Today Ritchie Rich is a trillionaire who has sold a technology Company.
Richie has a mansion where he houses his father (Kiff VandenHeuvel), sister Harper (Lauren Taylor), friends Murray (Joshua Carlon), and Darcy (Jenna Ortega) and his fembot, err, robot assistant named Irona (Brooke Wexler).
“He still lives in a big mansion, and he’s surrounded by his family and his close friends,” said Brian Robbins, one of the executive producers of the show. “The whole show is really about the wish fulfilment of an everyday kid with all the toys in the world.”
Australians will also the hot new miniseries Marco Polo.
Head of content for Netflix content Ted Sarandos, has confirmed the third season of House Of Cards for OZ, it launches in the US on February 27.
He told Fairfax Media “It has really acted as a brand ambassador for us around the world and, sometimes, people’s introduction to the word Netflix has been a result of their love and appreciation of House of Cards,” Sarandos said.
In a direct dig at Foxtel Sarandos said the Australian market had, historically, been “under-served” by the next generation of TV-like digital services.
“What’s exciting about Australia, and always has been, is it has been a historically under-served market in terms of content, particularly the development and implementation of on-demand services.”
Sarandos said that when Netflix is launched in OZ the streaming service will focus on “Netflix Originals”: new US series commissioned for the service, including Bloodline (starring Ben Mendelsohn), Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (written by Tina Fey), Grace & Frankie (starring Lily Tomin and Jane Fonda) and Marvel’s Daredevil are among the content coming he said.
Netflix has also finalised an as-yet-unannounced deal with ABC Commercial for exclusive rights to the Chris Lilley comedy series Jonah from Tonga. That follows deals with Disney (which includes exclusive rights to the film Frozen) and Beyond.
Sarandos attributed the steep surge in the popularity of TV streaming services worldwide to the human instinct for “freedom and control.”
“The idea of giving people choice and freedom from their schedule is very human,” he said. “If you think about it, of course it works. It appeals to something all human beings want which is freedom and control.”
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