Netflix Orders Six More Projects Out of Turkey

Netflix has bolstered its roster of titles that will be produced in Turkey, including a new version of the international sports reality competition format Exatlon.

Exatlon Challenge is a brand-new version of Exatlon, with a modern twist that features Turkey’s top social influencers. Hosted by Orkun Isitmak and including a special reality face-off segment in each episode by Oguzhan Ugur, Exatlon Challenge is an epic sports reality show that is not only not looking for the best player from the influencers, but also the one who has the most guts. The show will premiere on July 3 in Turkey.

The slate also includes If Only, produced by Ay Yapim, created by Ece Yörenç and directed by Çağan Irmak together with Umut Aral. The series stars Özge Özpirinçci, Birkan Sokullu, Burak Yamantürk, Elifcan Ongurlar, Ahmet Rifat Şungar, Ümit Erdil, Feyyaz Yiğit, Mustafa Avkiran, Filiz Taçbaş and Selçuk Borak. The series tells the story of Reyhan, who is unhappy and disappointed in her marriage with Nadir. One strange evening, when a blood moon eclipse takes place, Reyhan travels back in time to the turning point of her life, the night Nadir proposes to her, but this time with the wisdom of her 30-year-old self.

Produced by Başak Abacigil, created and directed by Özgür Önurm, Fatma centers on a cleaning woman who commits an unexpected murder while searching for her missing husband, Zafer, who was just released from jail.

Hot Skull takes place in a world shaken by an epidemic of madness that spreads through language and speech. Former linguist Murat Siyavus, who has been in a hideout, is the only person mysteriously unaffected by this disease. Hunted by the ruthless Anti-Epidemic Institution, Murat is forced to leave the safe zone and flee within the flames and ruins of the mysterious streets of Istanbul, where he searches for the secret of his “hot skull”—a lasting mark of the disease.

One Way for Tomorrow, which marks the first branded Netflix original film coming out of Turkey, stars Dilan Çiçek Deniz and Metin Akdülger in a story directed and created by Ozan Açiktan and produced by OG Medya. The film depicts the romantic tale of two strangers who met on a journey from Ankara to Izmir. Although having a rough start, their relationship takes a different path when they realize they have to confront themselves and would like to clean the slate as they get to know each other. One Way for tomorrow will launch on Netflix globally on June 19.

Following the success of the first season, The Gift has been picked up by Netflix for a third and final chapter, which will launch in 2021. The second season had been shot alongside the first, and it is set to be launched in September.

Additionally, Netflix has acquired films such as Miracle in Cell No.7 (Yedinci Koğuştaki Mucize), Sisters-in-Law (Eltilerin Savaşı) and The Way We Are (Biz Böyleyiz), to be launched on the platform following their theatrical release window.