Netflix and Unorthodox creator Anna Winger and her production company Airlift Productions have set a multi-year creative partnership. The overall deal will see Winger and Airlift develop and produce international drama series for the streamer.
The first project for the partnership will be Transatlantic (working title), a drama series set during the 1940 refugee crisis in Marseille, France. It’s inspired by the true adventures of the Emergency Rescue Committee and Julie Orringer’s 2019 novel, The Flight Portfolio. The series is created by Winger and Daniel Hendler and is currently in pre-production.
Winger is also working with Anne Mensah’s Netflix team in the UK on a contemporary original series set in the English countryside while Airlift has further expanded its team with the addition of Camille McCurry as partner. Based in Berlin, Airlift is working with writers from around the world on projects set in Europe, Africa and the UK. Winger will also work with Netflix’s Grow Creative initiative to help foster the next generation of talent in Europe.
Says Winger, “Berlin is a crossroads for international artists. As an American living and working here, far from Hollywood, my work is deeply rooted in local conversations. I founded Airlift as an umbrella for resulting collaborations and am thrilled that Netflix provides us with such a direct connection to the global audience. This partnership is an opportunity to build on our Unorthodox experience, bringing ambitious projects to life.”
Rachel Eggebeen, Netflix’s Director of Original Series, EMEA, adds, “We are very excited about our new partnership with Anna. Having witnessed her magic whilst collaborating on Unorthodox, we’re already aware of her unique talent for turning stories into thrilling global hits. The combination of Anna’s creative vision and our ambitions for our growing European drama offering align perfectly. We’re looking forward to working with Anna and the team at Airlift Productions to bring their series to our members in Germany and around the world.”
Along with Unorthodox, Winger also created Deutschland83. She is repped by UTA. McCurry began her career as an attorney in the music industry before segueing into film and television and working as an agent at the UK’s United Agents, repping award-winning European writers and directors.