Dutch actor and Hollywood veteran Famke Jansen is set to return as the lead in Netflix’s new foreign crime drama, Amsterdam Empire. The new series stars Jansen as a former pop star turned vengeful divorcee (who’s also pregnant), as a determined ex-wife sets out to destroy her cheating ex-husband’s life, which includes his entire cannabis empire. The film is spoken in the Dutch language and aims to bring an edge to the cannabis industry’s on-screen depiction.
Famke Jansen has had a long career in Hollywood, starring in blockbuster hits like GoldenEye, playing the sexy villain opposite Pierce Brosnan’s Bond. She was Jean Grey in Fox’s first three live-action X-Men films and knocked it out of the park in ’90s cult classics like Rounders and The Faculty. Jansen has all the acting chops necessary to hit this role out of the park, playing a former pop diva out for revenge in the cannabis industry will certainly give Jansen a character with a lot of depth and lore to work with.
The official synopsis is as follows: “When Jack’s affair is exposed, his wife Betty becomes his worst enemy, plotting to destroy him and seize his beloved coffee shop empire, the Jackal.”
Will Amsterdam Empire Feel Authentic?
Most television shows over the years have portrayed cannabis use, stoners, and the cannabis industry in a very corny way, and I hope this show doesn’t do that. Stoners are always reduced to silly cliches and get the sitcom dad treatment, limiting them to bumbling comic relief roles and making them dumber and less capable than their sober counterparts.
Apparently, Netflix and the creative team behind Amsterdam Empire are aware of this and are taking measures to ensure their show feels authentic and reflects modern-day cannabis culture. According to The Movie Blog, Amy Goodman, has been tapped to bring her expertise to the show. I can’t find much online about Amy Goodman unless it’s the famous journalist by the same name, in which case, that’s awesome if she’s that tuned in to the cannabis industry. I have no idea if Goodman’s consultation will add any level of realism to the show, but I enjoy the fact that they’re at least thinking about how the show will come off to people who work in the cannabis industry in real life.
I would love for this show to be what Breaking Bad did for meth use: portray it honestly, make it riveting, make it dark, and make it fun. Breaking Bad never made meth heads seem like anything they’re not, but it also didn’t completely hamper their characters just because of their drug use.
Jesse, Badger, and Pete certainly had problems, but their chemistry was dynamic on screen. Jesse battled with his meth addiction for most of the series, it added depth to his character and it showed that drug addicts are still human beings and in the context of television, can still be well rounded and pivotal characters, one could even say drug addiction adds to their depth of character, it doesn’t take away from it. The reasons people use cannabis are very nuanced, and the different types of people who are also stoners are varied; the show should reflect this.
Amsterdam Empire was shot on location in the historic city of Amsterdam, Netherlands. Jonas Govaerts and Max Porcelijn are helming the director’s chairs while Pupkin Film and A Team Productions are handling production duties. Jacob Derwig joins Jansen as Jack van Doorn, Elise Schaap, Jade Olieberg, Jesse Mensah, and Yannick van de Velde round out the Van Doorn family in the supporting cast. They are followed by Victor Löw, Romana Vrede, Raymond Thiry, and Chris Nietvelt in extended secondary roles.
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Feature Image Credit: IMBD
