‘Fauda’ creators green lighted for 2 new Netflix series
Both thrillers cover territory familiar to writers Avi Issacharoff and Lior Raz
Jessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel's culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center
The creators of the Israeli hit show “Fauda,” Avi Issacharoff and Lior Raz, have been signed to create two new storylines for streaming giant Netflix.
The first is an untitled CIA-Mossad drama starring Raz, set to premiere in 2018, and inspired by real events.
“It tells the stories of CIA and Mossad agents, and it’s kind of based on a true story,” said Issacharoff and Raz, who spoke together to The Times of Israel on Thursday. “It’s a story that’s been in the works for more than two decades.”
After Netflix picked up “Fauda,” the writing pair garnered “a lot of interest in the US and chose to go with Netflix” for these two new series, said Issacharoff. “These are the kind of real-life stories that everyone likes.”
Issacharoff and Raz wouldn’t elaborate any further on the unnamed series that, according to Netflix, follows a high-stakes global operation by the CIA and Mossad to track down and kill one of the world’s most wanted terrorists.
Issacharoff and Raz will executive produce the series alongside Peter Principato, Itay Reiss and Kimberlin Belloni.
“We don’t know where it’s being filmed yet, but we’re writing it together, as usual,” said Issacharoff.
The pair is also developing a political espionage thriller called “Hit and Run,” about a happily married man whose life is turned upside down when his wife is killed in a mysterious hit-and-run accident.
The political espionage thriller will be executive produced by Raz and Issacharoff alongside Principato, Reiss and Belloni as well as Mandeville Films’ David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman and Laurie Zaks.
“This story is something that we actually invented around two years ago, and Netflix liked the story,” said Issacharoff.
Both shows will be aired simultaneously in multiple languages.
The streaming giant first picked up Israeli drama “Fauda” in 2016, after the show had won six Ophir Awards — the Israeli equivalent of the Oscars and Emmys. The series is based on Raz and Issacharoff’s real-life experiences serving in a special forces unit of the Israel Defense Forces, and stars Raz.
Season two of “Fauda” will air on Netflix in 2018 in all regions outside of Israel and France. The show is currently being filmed around locations in Israel.
“Lior and Avi are excellent storytellers and we’re proud to expand our relationship with them,” said Cindy Holland, a Netflix vice president. “We’re drawn to the global vision they have for their projects, each infused with drama, urgency, and relevance to our modern era.”
Issacharoff said for now he plans on continuing his work as a Middle East analyst for The Times of Israel and other media companies.
