New series ‘The Decameron’ begins filming in Rome
(Credit: Mollie Sivaram)

Netflix News

New series 'The Decameron' begins filming in Rome

Saoirse-Monica Jackson, the star of the hit comedy show Derry Girls, has just begun shooting her brand new Netflix series The Decameron in Rome, Italy.

Being filmed in Italy’s Cinecittà Studios, the eight-episode series is based on a collection of stories written by the 14th-century author Giovanni Boccaccio. A period drama set in 1348, a time when the Black Death was pervading through Florence, The Decameron follows a group of nobles who travel to a grand villa in the countryside to await the end of the plague with their servants in safety.  

The show’s synopsis further reveals how the characters enjoy their newfound freedom before their “wine-soaked sex romp away from the horrors of Bubonic Plague descends into a scramble to survive when the societal rules of the villa wear thin”. 

Helmed by show creator, showrunner and executive producer Kathleen Jordan, the first four episodes will be helmed by the American Horror Story director Michael Uppendahl. The American director has already cut his teeth heading up episodes for other popular shows, Glee, The Walking Dead, Man Men, Daredevil, Fargo and much more

Joining Jackson in the ensemble cast will be the Girls star, Zosia Mamet, Sex Education’s Tanya Reynolds, Amar Chadha-Patel of the horror movie Dashcam, I Hate Suzie’s Leila Farzad, and the American comedian Tony Hale. Jackson, the Derry Girls actor, is the show’s lead star, with the Irish comedy becoming a sensation upon its release in 2018, with filmmaker Martin Scorsese even being a reported fan.

Whilst we await a trailer for The Decameron, check out Saoirse-Monica Jackson in the trailer for Derry Girls below.