MOVIE NEWS – Another dose of action is coming from the Extraction universe, this time not as a feature film but as a series: Netflix has officially announced that Mercenary: An Extraction Series has entered production, and has already revealed a first image starring Omar Sy. The eight-episode show raises the stakes by heading to Libya, with hostage rescues, faction warfare, and ruthless enemies.

The world of Extraction does not stop with the feature films: Netflix is expanding the universe with a full-season television series. The new production tells a standalone story across eight episodes, set in the same world as Chris Hemsworth’s films, but featuring entirely new characters and conflicts. The lead role is played by Omar Sy, known from the series Lupin, who portrays a mercenary in the middle of an especially dangerous mission.

According to Netflix, production on Mercenary: An Extraction Series has officially begun, and the first public image already places Sy at the center of the story. The title is no coincidence: the series follows a hired soldier tasked with rescuing hostages in Libya. The extraction mission, however, quickly spirals into total war, leaving the protagonist caught between warring factions and merciless killers. The concept essentially expands the familiar premise of the Extraction films into a longer, serialized format.

The cast is particularly strong: alongside Omar Sy, the series also features Boyd Holbrook, Natalie Dormer, Waleed Zuaiter, Ed Speleers, Sacha Dhawan, Ross McCall, Pip Torrens, Sam Woolf, Michael Zananiri, Riyad Sliman, Muhannad Ben Amor, Aaron Heffernan, Jojo Macari, Theo Ogundipe, and Emma Appleton. The showrunner is Glen Mazzara, whose previous work includes series such as The Shield and The Walking Dead. Directing duties for the eight-episode season are shared by Louise Hooper (The Sandman) and Tim Southam (One Piece).

According to the official synopsis, the series is an action-packed thriller: the mercenary (Omar Sy) embarks on a life-threatening mission to rescue hostages in Libya. Caught between two lines of fire, he is forced to make constant life-or-death decisions, while also confronting deep emotional wounds, trauma, and serious moral dilemmas. The focus is not only on the action, but also on betrayal and human situations pushed to their absolute limits.

According to the showrunner of Mercenary: An Extraction Series, the series is a “dream project”

Those worried that the serialized spin-off might be smaller in scale can rest easy. Speaking to Netflix Tudum, Glen Mazzara said that this production is the largest project he has ever worked on – a particularly telling statement given that he has previously been involved with titles such as The Walking Dead and The Shield. According to him, the project required massive preparation, and the first day of filming was an especially powerful experience, seeing the work of hundreds of people finally come together.

“Mercenary is the biggest series I have ever worked on. It required an incredible amount of preparation. It was almost overwhelming to finally step onto the set and see the work of hundreds of people coming together to bring this story to life. After the first take, I turned to Hooper and said: that’s it, this is the show. It was a dream come true.”

Just as the feature films are built around a single key character, the same applies here, with the protagonist serving as the engine of the story. According to Mazzara, the mercenary is the heart of the series, and Omar Sy brings a level of humanity and warmth to the character that is rare in such a hard-edged action genre. He remains the focal point even if Chris Hemsworth’s character were to make an appearance.

“Omar’s humanity and charm bring warmth to a character who is pushed into impossible situations. He moves effortlessly between the many worlds of our series, while always remaining an outsider. There is no doubt about it: he is the beating heart of the show.”

Forrás: MovieWeb