The 1899 Netflix series is out now and streaming fans are trying to unpack the mysteries within. The biggest question fans have being, is 1899 based on a true story? Are the spooky 1899 show events aboard the Kerberos and Prometheus ships actually real, or at least, a retelling of real events? Here’s what the showrunners say.
1899 Netflix Show: Is it a true story?
While the exact story being told in 1899 is not a true story, nor is it an adaptation, elements of the story are based on real-life events. The events are actually more modern than viewers may expect, given the show’s 1899 setting — Brexit and the European Migrant Crisis.
The Netflix series 1899 is an entirely original story. It is not adapted from any previous work of fiction, such as a book or comic, nor is it based on any earlier movies or TV shows. The story that the show presents, and the events involving the Kerberos and Prometheus ships, are fictional and have no basis in reality. There have been many ships lost at sea, even ones with creepy stories like the Marie Celeste, but 1899 does not reference any of them.
Nonetheless, according to showrunners Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar when speaking to Deadline, more modern elements such as Brexit and the European migrant crisis informed the storytelling. The show’s focus on European migrants fleeing to the U.S. was clearly inspired by this. Brexit influenced the decision on the “whole European angle” with the cast, crew, and story being about “that idea of Europe and Europeans working and creating together,” according to Friese. This is part of the reason why the show is multilingual, with multiple different languages at play.
All eight episodes of the 1899 horror-mystery series are streaming now on Netflix.
