The imposing skyline of our city, the stark contrasts that can be observed in some places, the street canyons between the bank towers - all this is likely to be seen by millions of Netflix users around the world this autumn. That's because Frankfurt is the filming location for the streaming provider's new German series production. "Skylines" tells the story of a talented young hip-hop producer who gets the opportunity of a lifetime when he signs with Frankfurt-based label Skyline Records. But soon the worlds of music, organized crime and finance collide when the brother of the label's owner and the country's biggest rap star returns from exile to claim his share.
After "Bad Banks," "Skyliners" is the next high-profile series production in which Frankfurt plays a central role. Reason enough for Lord Mayor Peter Feldmann to visit the filming. "Series are very popular with viewers at the moment - so I am very excited to see a series like ‚Skylines' being made here in our city," said Feldmann. He said he is very pleased that Frankfurt is increasingly becoming a location for film and television productions. "I hope Frankfurt is not the last production location for a Netflix series, this will certainly help us to crack clichés."
David Keitsch, one of the producers of "Skylines," has also discovered that Frankfurt is a versatile filming location that has much more to offer than fancy bank towers: "Frankfurt is a big city and at the same time has a regional and small-town identity. In terms of filming, the city offers very compact routes and has been very open to us," he says. "With our series, we also want to show the complexity of Frankfurt and reflect social conditions," adds Dennis Schanz, lead writer and producer of the series.
The different sides of the city are then also what should capture the essence of the series well. After all, multi-layered characters from different areas of Frankfurt's social fabric meet here. The series asks the question of how to remain honest with oneself and others when business becomes personal and personal becomes business. This all happens against the backdrop of the Frankfurt skyline and the streets that surround it.
"We are incredibly proud that Skylines is being shot here, because Frankfurt is a big city with many stories and faces. Develop even more stories in this city in the future, because there is still a lot worth telling here," Feldmann spurred the makers of the series on.
"Skylines" is a crime drama series with characters from different parts of Frankfurt society, in which everything revolves around business. It is about how the private - friendship, family, love - is in conflict with the egoism and competition that is necessary for survival in the world of business. This bridges to an overall societal theme - the moral and ethical challenges of the individual in an increasingly fast-paced, uncompromising world defined by achievement, success, and capital.
The scripts by showrunner and head writer Dennis Schanz and writers Oliver Karan, Ole Lohmann, Kim Zimmermann and Arne Ahrens will be directed by Maximilian Erlenwein and Soleen Yusef in six approximately 50-minute episodes. The main roles are played by Edin Hasanovic, Murathan Muslu, Peri Baumeister, Erdal Yildiz and Richy Müller. The first season has six episodes and is expected to air worldwide on Netflix this fall. We are excited about the outcome and will of course keep you posted about the start date
