We Are The Wave is a German TV show that premiered on Netflix in November 2019. It is loosely based on the 1981 novel ‘The Wave’. The show focuses on a group of teens that start to protest against the social ills in their society. However, their movement soon begins to get out of their control and they end up participating in things that they were originally protesting about. Here are ten things about the show that you may not know.
1. The Novel Was Written By Morton Rhue
The show takes its inspiration from the book ‘The Wave’ which was written in 1981 by Todd Strasser under the pen name Morton Rhue. The show is not a retelling of the book, but it takes the basic ideas of the novels as the inspiration for the story line in the show. The book was very well received at the time and it won the Massachusetts Book Award for Children’s/Young Adult literature in the year it was released. Many of the themes of the book and the issues that young people face are as relevant today as they were back then.
2. All The Filming Took Place In Germany
It is not unusual for filming to sometimes take place in a different location to the one that it is meant to portray. However, this is not the case with this show as filming took place in various cities across Germany, mostly in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Filming of the first season took approximately three months in total, beginning in February 2019 and finishing at the beginning of May.
3. The Series Is Produced By Rat Pack Filmproduktion
According to Wikipedia, Rat Pack was formed as a production company in 2001. It was founded by Christian Becker and several other producers. This production company made a movie based on The Wave novel in 2008 and this followed the plot of the book more closely. For ‘We Are The Wave’, the company worked in collaboration with Sony Pictures and this is arguably the most high profile project that they have worked on to date.
4. The Series Was Announced At The See What’s Next Event In 2018
Netflix regularly holds See What’s Next events to give audiences a sneak peek of shows that will be coming to the streaming platform in the near future. We Are The Wave was announced at one of these events in Rome in 2018, although filming of the show did not begin until the following year. The arrival of the program onto Netflix was also announced on the twitter account for See What’s Next on the day that it was released.
5. The Show Is Aimed At Teenagers
The program is described as a teen show and the plot centers around the lives of five teenagers. However, it deals with issues that people of any age will be able to relate to. The story line itself is quite dark and so this is not a show that will only be enjoyed by teenagers. Older audiences are likely to be able to relate to the feelings that they would have had when they were in high school and this could lead to them feeling some degree of sympathy for the situation the characters find themselves in.
6. The Show Has Its Own Instagram Account
An official Instagram account has been made for the show. There are a lot of photos that have been shared of the cast that were taken behind the scenes. The comments on these posts show that there is a lot of love for the actors in the show and that a second season is something that is wanted by the fans.
7. All Episodes Were Made Available Immediately On Netflix
The first season dropped on Netflix with all six episodes being made immediately. This is good news for fans because it means they can binge all the episodes in one go. The downside to this is that it will mean a longer wait for any potential new season. The first season is likely to remain on Netflix for some time and so there are some fans that will probably watch the whole season more than once.
8. It Has Received Postive Reviews
Ready Steady Cut points out that the show is well directed and that the young cast play their parts really well. The show has also received praise for the way it deals with issues that are very much present in society today. It can be argued that the divide between the left and the right is greater today than it has been in decades, and this is something that is happening in several countries around the world. The show gives an example of what happens when protests against right-wing extremism ends up becoming a form of left-wing extremism.
9. Ludwig Simon and Luise Befort Are The Two Main Stars
The two leading roles of Tristan and Lea are played by Ludwig Simon and Luise Befort respectively. Simon may already be known to German audiences as he had a recurring role in the TV show Beat in 2018. Befort is also an established actress in Germany. She is best known for her role as Emma in The Red Band Society. Her brother Max is also an actor. The fact that We Are The Wave is to be aired on Netflix means that these two actors will now become known to audiences outside of Germany.
10. Season Two Is Yet To Be Confirmed
Digital Spy reports that Netflix are likely to wait to see the viewing figures for the first season before they make any decision about whether to renew the show. The first season did end on a cliffhanger so there will definitely be more of the story to explore if a second season is ordered. Several members of the cast have also said that they would welcome the chance to return to the show if there were to be a second season.
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