After frolicking in Paris and leading the dolce vita in Rome, “Emily in Paris” is set for an interlude in Venice.
According to Luca Zaia, governor of the Veneto region, the hit Netflix show’s fifth season will shoot in the lagoon city between Aug. 5-15.
“This is extraordinary news, confirming how our region is increasingly attractive for major global audiovisual productions,” Zaia announced in a statement issued to Italian press over the weekend. The governor revealed that “Emily in Paris” director Andrew Fleming is currently scouting locations with the assistance of the Northern Italian region’s Veneto Film Commission and Venice-based production company 360 Degrees Film.
“It’s a source of pride to see Venetian talent promoting their region and bringing the name of Venice and the Veneto to millions of homes around the world,” Zaia added.
Netflix had no comment on Monday.
“Emily in Paris” Season 5 kicked off filming in May in Rome and returned to the French capital in June.
The story picks up days after Season 4 ends, as Emily settles into her apartment in Rome to run Agence Grateau’s Italian office and spend time with Marcello, the charming and confident heir of a family-owned cashmere company.
News that Venice will be featured in Netflix’s hit rom-com series comes after the city made headlines as the site of the lavish wedding of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and former broadcast journalist Lauren Sanchez. This prompted protests from activists who claim that Venice is becoming a playground for the rich to the detriment of local inhabitants.
The impact of “Emily in Paris” on popular culture has been such that French President Emmanuel Macron told Variety in a cover interview last October that France “will fight hard” for the series to remain in the country. That declaration then provoked a lighthearted feud between the French President and Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri. Now, Macron can add Veneto governor Zaia to his list of antagonists.
“Emily in Paris” was created by Darren Star, who also executive produces. Season 5 is executive produced by Tony Hernandez, Lilly Burns, Andrew Fleming, Stephen Brown, Alison Brown, Robin Schiff, Grant Sloss and Joe Murphy. It’s produced by MTV Entertainment Studios, Darren Star Productions and Jax Media.