As CEETV reported last week, Netflix has prepped 9 new Polish titles. Yesterday, the streamer released more details about the productions – four series and five films.

Ranging from debuts to stories told by beloved, established creators who brought us hits such as High Water, Forgotten Love, the How I Fell in Love with a Gangster movie or the series Feedback, Netflix just announced a plethora of new Polish titles coming to the service in 2024. The audiences will get to discover some entirely new faces or see their favorite stars again across multiple and exciting new productions.

Project UFO, a directorial debut of Kasper Bajon (who also wrote the script, similarly to his other hit Netflix series - High Water and The Mire trilogy), is a mini series that will transport fans of stories inspired by real events to the 1980s in order to investigate the alleged UFO landing in a remote countryside village. After an alleged UFO landing in Truskasy in Warmia, two men—a fading TV star and an extraterrestrial enthusiast—embark on an intellectual quest to ascertain the extraterrestrial beings' origins, drawing everyone from their orbit into their debate. As these two characters strive to persuade the world of their respective theories, a powerful politician exploits paranormal activity to seize power over the country. The series is produced by Telemark. “The story about the arrival of UFOs in Poland is an original idea in itself, but with our series we want to fit into the narratives about aliens and their invasions known from pop culture. We add a Polish accent to it, playing with patterns and drawing from well-known films and books," emphasizes Kasper Bajon, director and screenwriter of the series. “Our series talks about the longing for mystery and discovering the truth. It is also a story about loneliness - not only here on earth, but also in the universe. Younger viewers in the series can see a story about fake news and how quickly, like a virus, they spread and appropriate the truth. We want this story to stimulate reflection, asking viewers many important questions," emphasizes Anna Kępińska, producer of the series. The premiere of the miniseries is scheduled for fall 2024.

Boxer, directed by Mitja Okorn, is another title that will take the audience back in time. Produced by Maciej Kawulski, most recently known for his work on How I Fell in Love with a Gangster, the new film is set in communist Poland and follows the journey of the main character Jędrek both in the boxing ring and on his way to England, where he hopes to make his dreams come true. Afraid of repeating his father's mistakes, a promising young boxer, played by Eryk Kulm jr, flees communist Poland to pursue his dream of becoming the greatest fighter in history. With only his wife in his corner, the man quickly realizes that the fight for his dream will be more complicated than he thought. After months of struggling with the hardships of being an immigrant, the Polish boxer agrees to participate in a fixed match that will change his life forever. The film is an OpenMind production. “Eryk Kulm Jr, who is a great actor, devoted many months to gaining weight, building his figure and fitness for the role of Jędrzej. This made him look spectacular both in fight scenes and outside the ring. In turn, the role of Ada Chlebicka, the strong woman behind the man and his wild pursuit of success, is an equally important character, because she fights the fight of her life on a different plane in this bittersweet story about dreams and sacrifice” - says Mitja Okorn, the film's director.

Also launching this year will be Napad, a new film from the duo Michał Gazda (director) and Magdalena Szwedkowicz (producer) - the team behind last year’s success of Forgotten Love. The plot set in the 1990s follows a retired policeman trying to bring to justice those behind a ruthless bank robbery case. Napad is produced by MAG Entertainment.

Go Ahead, Brother - another criminal story coming soon to Netflix - is a new, action-packed series written by Kacper Wysocki, responsible for the script of Feedback, a 2023 acclaimed series. This new title, produced by Łukasz Dzięcioł (Dead End, The Queen), will take an insider’s look into the quest by a former elite police unit officer to solve his financial worries. The story: After suffering a panic attack during a major gang-related bust, a member of an elite police tactical unit has to leave the force. To make matters worse, the man learns that his father has committed suicide, leaving behind massive gambling debts. To stay afloat, he becomes a security guard at a clothes trading complex, where he spots a chance to solve his financial problems. The series is produced by Opus TV. “The skills our actors need to have are something you can't achieve on your own. That's why they spent many hours learning various fighting techniques and perfecting their work with weapons. They also had to learn how to work well with their bodies, including maintaining balance," emphasizes director Maciej Pieprzyca. On the screen, in addition to action scenes, viewers will also see a criminal intrigue and a story about trauma, love and loyalty. Apart from Piotr Witkowski, we will see Konrad Eleryk, as well as Mirosław Haniszewski, Jakub Wesołowski, Andrzej Popiel and Sebastian Dela. Kacper Wysocki is responsible for the script.

Among Polish creators debuting on Netflix is Klara Kochańska-Bajon, a co-director of a new series Mothers of Penguins - a heart-warming story of childhood and different challenges of being a parent. MD4 produced the series about a renowned MMA fighter juggles her life between fights in the ring and raising her seven-year-old son. After an incident at the boy's school, the woman is forced to transfer him to the "Wonderful Harbor" - a facility recommended by the school psychologist. The young mother is unaware that the parents of the school’s students come from a completely different world than her own. Among them is a single father, an influencer, and a devoted mother who has sacrificed everything for her son. Initially, the woman is skeptical about the school, but after her son befriends one of the students, the young mother must accept the new situation. However, it becomes apparent that "Wonderful Harbor" is not without its challenges, prompting the fierce instincts of the young mother to surface. As the director and screenwriter of the series, Klara Kochańska-Bajon, says: "Mothers of the Penguins was created out of the need to show parenthood from a new perspective. This story was inspired by both my experiences and the stories of other parents of atypical children. On the one hand, the challenges we face are universal, but on the other hand, the diversity of children makes everything we experience with them even more intense. Thanks to this, the stories we tell in the series - crazy, funny, touching - act as a lens focusing the most important topics regarding parenting”.

An acclaimed actress Maja Ostaszewska (Broad Peak) will join Jakub Gierszał, who is also making his Netflix debut, in Colors of Evil: Red, a film adaptation of a popular novel, taking the fans of crime stories to the Polish sea coast. After the body of a young girl is found on a beach in Tricity, an ambitious prosecutor discovers that the circumstances of the murder resemble a crime from fifteen years ago. When his supervisor forbids him to reopen the closed case, the man decides to collaborate with the mother of the victim, a judge who has been grappling with rebuilding her life after the loss of her daughter. United solely by their determination to uncover the truth, the duo embarks on a dangerous investigation that leads to one of the seaside nightclubs controlled by the local underworld. Maja Ostaszewska and Jakub Gierszał star in this dark thriller based on Małgorzata Oliwia Sobczak's crime novel produced by Aurum Film.

Magdalena Popławska (seen in a 2022 series Glitter) will return to Netflix screens in a hilarious story of Divorce where a formerly married couple decides to have their church wedding annulled, not without obstacles on their way.

Beloved set of actors, including Jan Peszek and Maciej Stuhr, will also star in a Netflix production for the first time in a new film Inheritance about an extraordinary family that fights over their eccentric uncle's fortune. When an eccentric inventor and gameshow host, played by Jan Peszek, suddenly passes away, a family of bickering oddballs, among them Maciej Stuhr, Joanna Trzepiecińska and Mateusz Król, gathers with hopes of inheriting his fortune. To everyone’s surprise, the unconventional uncle prepared one last game for them to determine who would receive his inheritance. It involves a series of tasks and puzzles, testing their ability to reconcile and work together. Orphan Studio produced the movie.

Finally, a beloved comedy series Green Glove Gang, will also return for a second season this year. After fleeing to the Bieszczady Mountains, the Green Glove Gang decides to hang up their green gloves on the hook once and for all. But when Zuza’s son falls into trouble with a notorious gangster, the thieves must emerge from hiding and confront this merciless adversary. Forced into action, the crew, joined by befriended seniors, orchestrates one final heist, targeting the National Gallery. Baboo Production has worked on the series.

Altogether the list of newly announced titles includes nine Polish productions to launch still in 2024 - four series and five films. This adds to the titles already released this year - the final installment of a hit trilogy The Mire: Millenium, Season 2 of Love Never Lies: Poland and a gripping criminal series Detective Forst, as well as romantic comedy films Kill Me If You Dare and No Pressure.

Michael Azzolino, Netflix’s VP of Content for Central and Eastern Europe, Benelux and Turkey said: "We are excited to work again with a range of extremely talented local creators - who bring to Netflix their diverse stories, appreciated by viewers in Poland for their quality and distinctive characters. Fans will be excited to see the authors of such Netflix hits as High Water, Forgotten Love or How I Fell in Love with a Gangster returning to Netflix to test their unique skills in new genres or creative challenges that they haven't had the opportunity to explore before. We also have a few surprises from emerging Polish talents that will give audiences a chance to experience fresh perspectives on local stories.”