Netflix is preparing a new limited series based on Edith Wharton’s classic novel The Age of Innocence, with production set to begin in Prague this fall. The eight-part adaptation of the 1920 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel will be helmed by British screenwriter and director Emma Frost, known for historical dramas including The White Queen and Jamaica Inn.
Prague will presumably play late nineteenth-century New York City for the series. Stillking Films will coordinate the local shoot of The Age of Innocence.
The series will mark Netflix’s latest foray into period drama and its newest project to be filmed in the Czech Republic, where rising incentives and a growing reputation for international production have drawn major studios to the region. No casting announcements have been made, but the series is expected to have a tone similar to Netflix’s breakout romantic hit Bridgerton, according to Czech film industry officials.
Reimagining Edith Wharton’s classic for a new generation
The Age of Innocence tells the story of a love triangle set in 1870s New York high society, where a young lawyer, Newland Archer, is engaged to the proper and naive May Welland but falls for her unconventional cousin, Countess Ellen Olenska. The novel explores themes of societal constraint, personal freedom, and emotional sacrifice—topics that still resonate today.
Frost’s adaptation is expected to remain faithful to Wharton’s original narrative while offering a more contemporary interpretation of its central conflicts. In a press release, Netflix promised a “fresh take” that would traverse “the ballrooms and bedrooms of its young characters” and pose timeless questions about love, duty, and identity.
Frost will also serve as executive producer on The Age of Innocence, alongside Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, and Tracey Cook of Chernin Entertainment. This continues Netflix’s collaboration with Chernin, which has previously produced titles such as Back in Action, The Madness, and Fear Street: Prom Queen.
Netflix’s push into book adaptations has recently seen successes with titles like The Queen’s Gambit, 3 Body Problem, and Ripley, which have influenced not only viewership numbers but also broader cultural trends. The streaming platform is clearly hoping The Age of Innocence will follow in that tradition.
The Age of Innocence has been adapted multiple times before, most notably by Martin Scorsese in a 1993 film of the same title that starred Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Winona Ryder in the primary roles. That film went on to earn five Academy Award nominations, winning one for Gabriella Pescucci’s costume design.
Prague expands its role as a global filming hub
Prague continues to attract major international productions thanks to a combination of skilled crews, diverse architecture, and competitive film incentives. According Pavlína Žipková from the Czech Film Commission, speaking to Czech Television, Netflix’s The Age of Innocence joins a growing list of high-profile shoots in the country this year.
Currently, Amazon’s Ride or Die, an action series starring Hannah Waddingham and Octavia Spencer, is filming across Czech locations with a reported 100 shooting days. Shooting for the series, which has taken place on location across the Czech capital, is slated to wrap at the end of this month.
Additional upcoming projects that have been confirmed to shoot in Prague later this year include the third season of the German period drama The Empress, Disney+’s Korean-language The Remarried Empress, a French production of The Countess of Monte Cristo, and the German series Ludwig. A planned fourth season of Foundation for Apple TV+ is also expected to shoot locally
One factor driving the influx of foreign productions to Prague is the increase in Czechia’s audiovisual incentives. As of January, filmmakers can receive up to 25 percent rebates on local spending, with the cap on incentives raised from CZK 150 million to CZK 450 million per project.
These changes have helped the country stay competitive with neighboring Hungary, which but is reportedly less stable in terms of payouts and political climate.
“We’ve nearly caught up with the competition. The only serious rival remaining is Hungary,” Žipková told Czech Television, noting that while the popular filming destination offers 30 percent rebates, Hungary’s record on civil liberties may give Czechia an edge in attracting productions.
Filming for The Age of Innocence is expected to begin in autumn. While casting and specific Prague locations have not yet been announced, the project will likely be a showcase for the Czech capital’s ability to double as 19th-century New York—a transformation local crews have pulled off before.
