Marco Polo - Netflix Original Series

[GeneChing]

Still one classy lady.

Michelle Yeoh on Inspiring Marco Polo Role: 'It's Very Important to Empower Women to Believe They Can Do Things Without Men'


VCG/GETTY
BY JESSICA FECTEAU @jessfect 07/22/2016 AT 07:00 PM EDT

Former Bond girl Michelle Yeoh isn't arm candy any longer.

The 53-year-old, who joined Netflix's Marco Polo's second season this year, has her own leading role and continues to kick butt on screen.

Yeoh tells PEOPLE her role involves a lot of stunts, which she "loves every moment of."

"In the past, the action sequences that we do, we work very closely with the stunt people," she says. "It was fabulous because I had some amazing stunt people from China, of course, and all the Mongolian stunt people, from Germany, from Kazakhstan. It was fascinating to be part of the group and working so closely with them."

While working with the crew was fun, Yeoh says the best part was the adrenaline rush that came from performing stunts on camera.

"You get to do that only in the movies or only when you're doing something crazy like this," she says. "In real life I'm not going to walk around trying to beat up five to seven guys. It was so cool because my godchildren wrote to me and said, 'You beat up Marco Polo! That's so cool!' "

For Yeoh, kicking butt – for real or not – doesn't come without staying in great shape.

The actress says that even when she isn't filming, she maintains a consistent workout routine.

"Doing martial arts, kung fu, learning tai chi ... it's like your hygiene," she says. "You don't wake up and not do it. I go through the whole process. It's part of my well being, exercising and being in shape, so when I jump on to something like Marco Polo to where it's very physical, it's not so difficult because I've been riding the bicycle. It's just learning new routines, learning new movements. It's not hard. In fact, it's very enjoyable."

Embracing the role has also been a source of empowerment for her to inspire women around the world that females are not the weaker sex.

"I think it's very important to empower women to believe that they can do things without men," she says. "For me, personally, it is a message. It is a mission that I would like especially the young girls to be able to see and to feel that nothing should hold them back."

The actress says the Marco Polo series has quite a few women characters who demonstrate this strength.

"Some of them are very flawed but at the end of the day they fight. They truly fight for what they believe," she says. "For love, for family, for country. For me to be part of that message is ... I think it's a necessity. We are so blessed we can choose the kind of roles and the messages we can impart to our audiences. I prefer to take on roles that are much more challenging on this kind of level."

Yeoh says she has also developed new fans since starring in films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Reign of Assassins.

"I believe when I first started out it was always the girls who came up to me and said, 'Yes! It's about time women kick ass and do all these kind of things!' But today I get a lot of the feedback from the men as well," she admits. "That is very important because the empowerment of women don't just come from the women themselves, but from our other halves. From the men. They have to believe with us."

The empowerment of women is not only shown on Marco Polo but also growing in more recent Bond films, Yeoh adds.

"The girls are getting prettier and sexier and really, really, stronger," she says. "In the old days they were more these sex idols rather than a strong, feminine role. Now you see even with the partners, the other girls that he partners up with, are not just there for the candy on his arm. They have a very strong, powerful physical role … not just in bed."

The iconic film series has had to change with the times of society.

"To get it right, that takes a lot of effort, understanding of how Bond has to evolve as well – how our society has changed," Yeoh says. "They want the audience to be girls as much as the guys. I remember in the old days it was always the guys that said, 'Oh, let's go watch a Bond movie.' Now the girls are like 'No! We think it's pretty cool, too!' I think that's very important."

Marco Polo season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.

[GeneChing]

$200 million loss. Bummer.

DECEMBER 12, 2016 6:00pm PT by Lesley Goldberg
'Marco Polo' Canceled at Netflix After Two Seasons


Netflix
'Marco Polo'

The drama from The Weinstein Co. joins a short list of series dropped by the streaming giant.
Netflix's Marco Polo has reached the end of its road.

The streaming giant has opted to cancel the scripted drama after two seasons, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. It becomes the first Netflix original scripted series to not be renewed for a third season.

Originally developed with a straight-to-series order at Starz back in 2012, Marco Polo debuted to dismal reviews — THR chief TV critic Tim Goodman called it "a middling mess, complete with random accents, slow story and kung fu" — and little buzz.

The drama, produced by The Weinstein Co., featured a global cast that included Lorenzo Richelmy in the title role with Benedict Wong as Kublai Khan. The second season launched quietly July 1, with options on the cast set to expire at year's end. Sources tell THR that the series, across both seasons, was responsible for a $200 million loss to the streaming giant. Sources say the decision to not move forward with a third season of Marco Polo was a joint one between Netflix and TWC.

"We want to thank and are grateful to our partners on Marco Polo from the actors, whose performances were enthralling and top-notch; to the committed producers, including John Fusco, Dan Minahan, Patrick Macmanus, and their crew, who poured their hearts into the series; and of course Harvey [Weinstein], David [Glasser] and our friends at TWC, who were great collaborators from start to finish," Netflix vp original content Cindy Holland said Monday in a statement.

Added Weinstein Co. co-chairman Weinstein, who with showrunner Fusco suggested they would soon be reteaming for another similarly themed drama in the works: "Netflix has been incredible to give us the room to make a series with a cast true to every principle of diversity. It’s a bold network that allows you to do that and support us in the way that Netflix did. As many people know, Asian history and the world of martial arts have fascinated me for all of my career — I’ve made many movies around these topics and this genre, and now this TV show I’m so proud of. John has been a great partner and we're both fascinated to continue exploring this exciting period in history on future projects together."

Noted Fusco: "Harvey and I have a love for this kind of history — we had a fantastic cast, fantastic creative team and crew, and shooting in Malaysia was a privilege. We're working on an idea right now in a similar space that we're very excited about."

The news comes months after Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos told THR in a roundtable discussion with other executives that Marco Polo had done "what it was supposed to do." "Marco Polo is one of those shows for us [where viewership doesn't matter to international audiences]," he said. "It's hugely popular all throughout Asia and Europe, and there's a lot of focus on if your neighbors might be watching it. And it's really irrelevant because it's doing what it's supposed to do."

Marco Polo joins a short list of series that have been canceled at the streaming giant that also includes Bloodline, which will end with its upcoming third season, as well as Hemlock Grove, which also wrapped after three seasons.

Other shows awaiting word on their future at Netflix include The Get Down, which still needs to air the second half of its freshman season, Easy and Between.

For The Weinstein Co., Marco Polo marks a far cry of where the independent studio is with its television arm right now. The studio has focused more recently on high-level projects from big-name directors including Amazon's David O. Russell drama starring Robert De Niro and Julianne Moore as well as Matthew Weiner's follow-up to Mad Men. Both projects were picked up straight to series.

[sanjuro_ronin]

I actually liked the series, though the second season suffered a bit with being far to "windy" ( too much talking).
Historical pieces tend to have a selective audience and must either be addressed to them OR, like Spartacus, go on the sex and gore train.

[GeneChing]

...but $200M is $200M. So cancelled.

Netflix's original shows are crushing Amazon and Hulu in demand
Business Insider
Gus Lubin
Business InsiderDecember 27, 2016


Stranger Things

("Stranger Things" was Q3's hottest digital original by far.Netflix)
Netflix has around 10 original shows that beat the demand for anything put out by Amazon, Hulu, and other digital competitors, according to a new report.

Parrot Analytics, a company that estimates online demand for shows by tracking social chatter, file sharing, and (where available) streaming data, found that Netflix’s "Stranger Things" was by far the hottest digital original in the US in Q3.

The next ten shows also belonged to Netflix: "Orange Is the New Black," "The Get Down," "Narcos," "Marco Polo," "House of Cards," "Fuller House," "BoJack Horseman," "Marvel’s Jessica Jones," "Bloodline," and "Marvel’s Daredevil." Amazon original "The Man in the High Castle" snuck into 12th place, followed by Hulu’s "11.22.63."

Netflix also crushed it in other markets measured by Parrot. So did "Stranger Things," owning the top slot everywhere except for some reason in Russia, where "BoJack" was extremely popular.

Netflix's apparent dominance follows the company’s heavy investment in original content and stated goal of having that content account for 50% of its catalog.

Parrot is one of a few firms trying to gauge digital viewership, which streaming companies tend not to share publicly.

Here are the top 30 digital originals for the US in Q3:


parrot originals
(parrotanalytics.com)

It’s worth noting that syndicated shows are still hotter than digital originals. In Parrot’s November ranking of global demand for all shows, AMC’s "The Walking Dead" took first place, followed by HBO’s "Game of Thrones" and "Westworld." Netflix didn’t appear on the list until 24th place with "Black Mirror."

#11 DareDevil
#14 Sense8

[GeneChing]

And one was even a cover story.

7 Netflix Shows Cancelled For Ridiculous Reasons (And 8 That Are Next)
James Scrawler 06.19.17 Entertainment



There was a long stretch of time when Netflix was the greener pastures of television productions. Really, it still is, but things are a changing. For a while, no shows got cancelled. These days, it’s still rare that a show gets cancelled once they’ve been started on the streaming platform. But, we should expect more soon. According to Netflix’s CEO, Reid Hastings, the platform’s cancel rate is too low. This statement has several meanings. For one, he believes that the cancel rate is bound to increase, which will force them to cancel more shows. He also wants his team to take more chances with the material that gets green-lit. Yes, the other side of that coin means more failures and more cancelled shows, but it also means bigger successes.

Lately, we’ve seen some Netflix shows go down. This is a new turn for the company, but we should start to get used to it. At this point, seven shows have gone down. We wanted to explore the reasons why these seven shows in particular got the axe. There are also some shows that haven’t been renewed that we’ll discuss. Lastly, we want to look at which shows are next in line for cancellation. We know the axe is going to fall again and probably soon. We listed the six shows that we’re sure are next. Sure, we could be wrong on these predictions, but we’d be surprised if any of these shows last for their entire runs. If you’re a fan of one of the shows on this list, any reasons for it being cancelled would sound ridiculous. Depending on your perspective, the reasons for cancellation may be ridiculous. Or, the reason the show was cancelled was because it was ridiculous. Here are 7 Netflix Shows Cancelled for Ridiculous Reasons and 8 Others That Are Next.

15. Marco Polo – Cancelled



After a first season that was plagued with poor reviews, Marco Polo had a very steep uphill climb to try and make it work on Netflix. When the show was greenlit, everyone expected big things. Harvey Weinstein, one of the producers, bragged that the show would be “one of the most expensive shows ever done for pay TV.” It was. The budget was incredible. Yet, after spending at least $180 million over two years and shooting all over the world, Marco Polo was struck down after two disappointing seasons. Actually, most who stuck around for season two were more pleased, but the show had lost too many viewers by that point. Truthfully, the show was just boring. The most successful shows in the historical drama realm are successful because they infuse a strong and powerful narrative into a historical setting. Marco Polo seemed intent on focusing on history and forgot about story and character. The result was one of the most dreadful efforts put forth by Netflix.

...

10. Sense8 – Cancelled



Since we don’t get to see a detailed report of Netflix’s viewership numbers, we can never be sure about who watches what. By the loud outcry of fans that voiced their displeasure with the recent cancelling of Sense8, it would seem that there are plenty of viewers, but that’s not what Netflix makes it sound like. Call it ridiculous all you like, but the real reason that Sense8 was cancelled is because it was a niche show with an enormous cost. It’s been reported that it cost $9 million per episode to make. That’s insane. Plus, if you’ve ever seen Sense8, you would know that the first season dangerously borders on being incomprehensible and mind-numbingly boring. While this show is one that would really benefit from multiple seasons, it lost far too many viewers between the start of the first season and the second season to be ever be considered worth the exorbitant price tag. Just to be clear, we’re not saying that the show’s cancellation is ridiculous. We’re saying the reason it was cancelled—the cost—was ridiculous.

9. The Get Down – Cancelled



Much like Sense8, Baz Luhrmann‘s The Get Down was axed because it had a ridiculous budget. Estimated at around $12 million per episode, the shooting budget for this show is something usually set aside for major shows with incredible special effects. The budget for Game of Thrones season six, for example, was roughly $10 million per episode. The Get Down was a musical drama. Sure, it was incredibly stylish and vibrant, and, at times, it’s almost brilliant. But again, like Sense8, it’s a mess. It’s narrative bounds all over the place, and, even aided by binge-watching, this is troubling for audiences. There’s no doubt that if the production costs were a fraction of what they were in reality, this show would find a suitable audience and thrive. At the ridiculous price tag of $12 million an episode, this show would need to be one of the most popular on television to make it worthwhile for any business.

...

6. Iron Fist – Prediction: Cancelled After Second Season



It would shock us greatly if Iron Fist was actually cancelled outright. That would require a lot of effort from Netflix, so we’re going to suggest something else. While the other shows in the Defenders series will likely get several independent seasons, we think that Iron Fist will only get two. Even now, the second season for Iron Fist hasn’t been greenlit, but we’re certain the announcement will come soon. The show will get a second season. It will be better than the first, which will be easy considering that the first was one of the worst seasons in Netflix history. But, it won’t be enough to make a third season make sense. There’s just too many good shows on television, Netflix included, for people to waste time watching bad shows too.

Marco Polo
The Get Down
Sense8
Iron Fist

[Vash]

I loved Marco Polo.

I demand a show with Tom Wu just running around and ruining peoples shit.

And Benedict Wong is always there to give him hell.

[GeneChing]

Former 'Marco Polo' Producer Hits Harvey Weinstein, TWC With $10M Sexual Harassment Suit
7:45 PM PST 12/20/2017 by Patrick Shanley


Getty Images

The suit, filed on Wednesday, cites "sexual harassment," "battery" and "assault," among other violations by the disgraced former mogul.
Harvey Weinstein and his former production company, The Weinstein Co., have been hit with an sexual harassment suit worth $10 million by Alexandra Canosa, a former associate producer on the Netflix show Marco Polo.

The suit, filed on Wednesday in New York Supreme Court, cites "sexual harassment," "battery" and "assault," among other violations by the disgraced former mogul.

"The foregoing events and actions of Harvey Weinstein took place in conjunction with Plaintiff's employment, in various capacities, for Harvey Weinstein and The Weinstein Company. Over the course of his misconduct, up to September 2017, Harvey Weinstein threatened Plaintiff and made it clear that if she did not succumb to his demands or if she exposed his unwanted conduct there would be retaliation, including humiliation, the loss of her job and any ability to work in the entertainment business," the suit reads.

It goes on to further address TWC's complacency with Weinstein's actions: "The Weinstein Company and the members of its Board of Directors, knew or should have known about Harvey Weinstein's conduct, and did not act to correct or curtail such activity. Instead, The Weinstein Company facilitated, hid, and supported his unlawful conduct. Harvey Weinstein acted as an executive, agent, management employee and officer of The Weinstein Company. As a result of the foregoing unlawful conduct, Plaintiff incurred substantial physical injury, pain, suffering, humiliation, mental anguish, and emotional distress."

Weinstein is currently facing several other lawsuits alleging sexual harassment and from various productions that were shut down following the revelation of allegations against him.

My only experience of Weinstein was chatting with John Fusco when Marco Polo was in development. John told me about how he got a call from Weinstein and made some comment to the effect that when Harvey calls, you answer. That conversation stuck out in my mind because John conveyed how much power Weinstein had in the industry. Of course, this was long before the Hollywood Open Secret exposed him.