31/03/2022 - The new branch will serve as a hub for the streaming giant’s Central and Eastern European productions

Netflix EMEA’s vice-president of original series, Larry Tanz

Netflix has announced that it will open a brand-new office in Warsaw. It will serve as a central hub for the streaming giant’s Central and Eastern European productions.

Over the last seven years, Netflix has operated across the region, and has made its service available in Poland, Romania, Croatia, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Ukraine. Meanwhile, the platform has worked on creating a rich local slate of productions. In Poland alone, Netflix reported a spend of over 490 million Polish zloty (€105 million) on original films and series along with the creation of 2,600 jobs, “giving opportunities to actors, scriptwriters, directors and all of the below-the-line crews who are the backbone of every production”.

Meanwhile, the giant has worked on licensing popular local titles in the Czech Republic, Romania, Hungary and other countries, making the region a strategic hub for international shows such as Extraction 2 and Shadow & Bone. In Poland, recent productions include series such as The Woods [+see also:
series review
series profile], Sexify and Rojst ‘97, and features of the calibre of David and the Elves, Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Bartosz M Kowalski
film profile], How I Fell in Love with a Gangster and Operation Hyacinth.

In his statement, Netflix EMEA’s vice-president of original series, Larry Tanz, explained: “Today marks another milestone in our journey in Central and Eastern Europe, bringing us even closer to our members and creative partners. [...] The Netflix office in Warsaw is a natural next step for us and will help build long-term cooperation in the region as well as deepen existing ties, creating new opportunities for content creators and producers. The creativity and potential of the local industry make Warsaw a great place to base our business across Central and Eastern Europe.”

The Warsaw office will open later this year. It will be the streamer’s ninth European branch, following London, Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Madrid, Istanbul and Stockholm.