Netflix’s Below has set a new record for a Canadian production on the streaming platform, drawing 17 million views worldwide in its first four days.
The Newfoundland-set thriller, starring Josh Hartnett, premiered Oct. 8 and debuted at No. 1 on Netflix’s Global Top 10 English-language TV chart. According to Netflix, it marks the most-viewed debut ever for a Canadian title on the platform. The series also reached No. 1 in 53 countries and landed in the Top 10 in 90 countries, according to Netflix.
Created by Toronto-born filmmaker Jesse McKeown, the six-episode limited series follows Calvin Penney, played by Hartnett, a fisherman whose small Newfoundland community comes under attack from a mysterious sea creature. Calvin joins forces with marine researcher Dr. Fonda Howander, played by Mackenzie Davis, to investigate the threat while trying to protect his family and the town’s future.
For McKeown, the Newfoundland setting was central to the project. Speaking at the series’ TIFF premiere, he said he had wanted to make something set in the province for many years. “There are a number of reasons why I think I always wanted to make something there,” McKeown told the Canadian Press. “It was that kind of crazy contrast between how unforgiving and scary the landscape was, and just how warm and fun and inviting the people and the community were.”
Production filmed across Newfoundland and Labrador over 75 days, including in St. John’s, Petty Harbour, Brigus South and Pouch Cove. Netflix says the production employed more than 700 primary cast and crew members and worked with more than 650 Canadian vendors.
Jeremy Strong and 