The big-budget Netflix original series Marco Polo is set to premiere tonight at midnight for its highly anticipated debut on December 12th. The show is based on tales of the famous Italian merchant Marco Polo and his travels through 13th century China during the Kublai Khan dynasty. The entire season of Marco Polo will release at once, allowing Netflix subscribers to binge-watch all ten hours of the season throughout the weekend.
Calling Marco Polo a “big-budget” production may be an understatement. Netflix apparently spent $90 million on the show’s 10 episodes, which were shot in several global locations including Kazakhstan, Malaysia, and Venice. It’s pretty clear, through Netflix’s investment, that the company hopes to compete with the global phenomenon that HBO’s Game of Thrones has become. What the show lacks, however, is the backdrop of several best-selling novels that Game of Thrones was built upon.
Marco Polo was created by John Fusco (Young Guns II) and stars Lorenzo Richelmy, Benedict Wong, Joan Chen. The series is being co-produced by Netflix Weinstein Co.
Netflix has been quickly building a catalog of original series with some of the most popular shows out there, such as the political drama House of Cards and the addictive Orange is the New Black.
Check out the official trailer below, viewable in either 720p or 1080p resolution.
http://youtu.be/hB-ltNasHVw
