No, the 1899 Netflix series is not based on a true story. The multilingual German epic period mystery-science fiction television series 1899 was created by Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar. On November 17, 2022, Netflix announced its debut. The majority of the reviews in the media have been favorable, praising the film's acting, directing, cinematography, and casting. However, some have criticized the film's pacing as being too slow. Two more seasons are planned by the creators.
Although the show isn't based on a true story, some real events and objects served as inspiration, such as the fact that there were many shipwrecks in 1899 and that the ships Prometheus and Kerberos existed but weren't lost at sea or vanished; instead, they were sold in the 1910s, though the record of the ship Kerberos is a little hazy.
Another question from viewers is whether it is based on a book, and the response is once again no. It is not based on a book and is the product of genuine creative thought. The audience assumes that a brilliant series with positive reviews must have some inspiration behind it because the age of original ideas is long gone.
While this isn't entirely incorrect, there is some reality present in this series. However, the events that occurred are entirely fictitious, and finally, there are some original ideas.
What is the real inspiration behind the TV show 1899?
The premise of the 1899 Netflix original is fairly straightforward. From London, a group of tourists from all over the world boards a steamship for New York City. However, this journey turns from hopeful to terrifying when Captain Eyk (Andreas Pietschmann) realizes that they might be able to save a long-lost ship, the Prometheus.
Instances in the series include mass suicides, puzzling triangle-based languages, strange panels leading to impossibly shaped fields, and a shipping company that begs its captain to sink his ship repeatedly.
“1899” has its roots in the very real European migrant crisis. The worldwide occurrence, also known as the Syrian refugee crisis (which began in 2011), resulted from the Afghan War, the Kosovo War, and the Syrian Civil War. 1.3 million people fled these affected areas in 2015 and applied for asylum in European nations. Syrians made up the majority of these migrants, but others came to Europe from Afghanistan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Iraq, Eritrea, and the Balkans.
Since World War II, it was the year with the highest number of asylum applications, and this significant shift altered the politics of these nations. "The whole European angle was very important for us, not only story-wise but also in the way we were going to produce it," In 2021, Jantje Friese spoke with Deadline. "It really had to be a European collaboration, not just with the cast but also with the crew. We felt that with the past years of Europe being on the decline, we wanted to give a counterpoint to Brexit and to nationalism rising in different countries, to go back to that idea of Europe and Europeans working and creating together."
In the same interview, Friese added that it was crucial that these people from different nations be unable to communicate in English. "We wanted to explore this heart of Europe, where everyone comes from somewhere else and speaks a different language, and language defines so much of your culture and your behavior," Friese said.
What is the relevance of shipwrecks and Prometheus in 1899?
Thirty of the numerous shipwrecks that occurred in 1899 were from the United Kingdom. However, the year 1899 isn't quite a shipwreck scenario. The series “1899” mainly focuses on the Prometheus and later Kerberos disappearances.
One British vessel, the SS Java, which was later renamed the Lord Spencer, vanished in 1895. It vanished while en route from San Francisco to New York, and some people think it ran into Prince Oscar. The parallels between reality and “1899” essentially end there.
In 1899, a ship with the name Prometheus actually existed. It was established the previous year, in 1898, and was a component of the Royal Navy, the British military force. HMS Prometheus was its full name. However, it wasn't a ship made for commerce, and it never vanished; instead, it spent many years in the Navy before being sold in 1914.
Similar circumstances apply to the Kerberos, the other ship where the first episode is set, as there is no evidence of any well-known ships bearing that name existing in 1899.
Who is Prometheus mythologically?
Greek mythology's Prometheus is regarded as a very wise and sympathetic god. He allegedly stole fire from the gods and gave it to people, enabling them to advance science and technology. Zeus punished Prometheus for this by having him chained to a rock and training an eagle to consume his liver on a daily basis. The liver would regenerate at night and be consumed for the rest of the days until eternity.
How was the show 1899 developed?
On November 13, 2018, it was revealed that Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar, the creators of the Netflix original series Dark, would be working on the project. This was part of their larger contract with the streaming service. Two weeks later, the series' future was confirmed at a Netflix press event showcasing European original content. Bo Odar disclosed on Instagram in July 2020 that Friese had finished penning the script for "The Ship," the pilot episode.
Two additional seasons, more complex than season 1, are planned by Friese and Bo Odar. Because movies have three acts, Friese and Bo Odar were inspired to create a three-season structure. The theme, characters, and major questions were established in the first season. Maura's brother would play a significant role in the second season, which, if it were to be produced by Netflix, would explain the symbolism of the triangles.
This second act was "all about the fun and games," according to Bo Odar, "where you play with the theme and maybe get a little more megalomaniacal and crazy, and then resolve it in the third season into a hopefully satisfying resolution."
The German Motion Picture Fund contributed 10 million euros, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg contributed 2 million euros, and Netflix contributed 48 million euros to the series' budget, which was at least 60 million euros. “1899” is the most expensive German television show ever produced.
FAQs
Q. Did the Prometheus ship really exist?
A. Yes, HMS Prometheus, a part of the British Royal Navy, was an actual ship that existed in 1898 and was sold in 1914.
Q. Did an actual ship vanish in the 1890s?
A. Yes, the British ship Lord Spencer disappeared in 1895. Some believe that while traveling from San Francisco to New York, it ran into Prince Oscar.
Q. Is the TV Show 1899 based on true events?
A. No, the TV show 1899 is entirely fictitious; although some of the objects or incidents may have some real-world parallels, the overall situation and circumstances are fictitious.
