Netflix’s newest original show, The Decameron, has just released its first teaser trailer. With the notes of New Order by Blue Monday in the background, the trailer cordially invites us to the part of the 14th century. And what a scandalous party this sets out to be, as the characters seem to indulge in all kinds of vices and passions. The Decameron promises to be a fast-paced show set in the Italian countryside that will examine the topics of class struggles during a pandemic, something many of us are going to be able to relate.
The Decameron is loosely inspired by the homonymous collection of short stories by renowned Italian writer Giovanni Boccaccio. The book was published in Italy in the mid-14th century after the Black Death epidemic took over Europe. Reflecting on recent historical events at the time, the 100 tales are included within a frame story that sees seven young women and three young men escape to the countryside outside of Florence in order to escape the plague. Famous for their wit and practical jokes, the satirical stories touch on themes of eroticism, life lessons, and class struggle they are often considered among the masterpieces of Italian literature.
Described as a dark comedy set in 1348 Florence, the eight-episode series comes from creator and showrunner Kathleen Jordan — best known as the producer of Teenage Bounty Hunters and the writer for American Princess. The trailer also reveals the show’s premiere date: July 25th.
There are also some familiar faces that we can see in the trailer for The Decameron: Saoirse-Monica Jackson (Derry Girls), debuts a brown bob as Misia, the codependent servant of Pampinea. She’s played by Zosia Mamet, who is soon to become the lady of the villa. I May Destroy You’s Karan Gill will play Panfilo, the son of a prominent political family, and one of the main characters of The Decameron. The cast also includes Chernobyl’s Douggie McMeekin as Tindaro, Tanya Reynolds (Sex Education, Emma) as Licisca, and Lou Gala (Julia) as Neifile.
Words by Clotilde Chinnici
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