Fellowes' first series with the streamer 'The English Game' will look at how factory workers and upper-class Englishmen reached across the class divide to create the world's most popular sport.


Netflix is partnering with Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes for a new soccer origins drama, The English Game. Fellowes will write the six-part drama detailing the invention of modern soccer from a rudimentary game that grew across class lines into the world's most popular sport with 240 million active players around the world. Netflix is producing with London-based 42.


The streaming giant has previously banked on soccer's global popularity, with among other shows an Italian docuseries on Juventus FC. The new series was announced in Rome on Wednesday morning at Netflix's See What's Next event, focusing on upcoming European series.


Netflix also announced a new German series The Wave, based on the 2008 hit film from Dennis Gansel, which is also inspired by true events. The show will be produced by Rat Pack in association with Sony Pictures Television Germany.


Billed as a political thriller, the plot involves an unorthodox teacher who decides to teach his students about living under a dictatorship by creating a social experiment to show how easily the masses can be manipulated. Understandably, the experiment goes horribly wrong.


A number of new series are delving further into the supernatural. France will see a new series called Mortal about teenagers bound together by an unknown force, from creator Frederic Garcia and produced by Mandarin Television.


Netflix will also have their first original from the Netherlands, announced for 2019, created by production company Pupkin. The unnamed series will see a group of well-to-do Dutch students who stumble upon a portal into a demonic world from the Dutch golden age.


And Italy will see Black Moon, a 17th century set series based on women accused of witchcraft, created by Francesca Manieri, Laura Paolucci and Tiziana Triana and produced by Fandango.


And following the success of Part 1 and 2 of the Spanish heist phenomenon, the streamer will develop La Casa de Papel 3 for 2019.


Netflix also announced its first original Italian film, Forgive Us Our Debts by Antonio Morabito with Caludio Santamaria, Marco Giallini and Jerzy Stuhr.