Streaming giant Netflix is not resting on its laurels as the service recently announced a new slate of Netflix originals that will be produced in the United Kingdom. The new programs are expected to cement the company’s dominance in the streaming arena as the global coronavirus pandemic has made it the world’s preferred medium of entertainment.

Variety reports that a number of prominent filmmakers and actors in the United Kingdom have been tapped to either helm, produce, or star in these projects. Just some of the famous names included are that of director Sam Mendes and actors Andy Serkis and Rowan Atkinson.

The Netflix vice-president for UK Original Series, Anne Mensah, says that it was a conscious decision to have the teams all be based in the United Kingdom. She said it was an opportunity for the company to connect with the United Kingdom’s creators.

Mensah said that the projects also underscore the streaming giant’s commitment to staying in the United Kingdom for the long term. She said that there are more projects to come that will ensure the United Kingdom remains Netflix’s second-biggest producing territory.

The Hollywood Reporter reveals the seven new originals all set to be released on the streaming giant in the coming years. Sam Mendes will be executive producing the series The Red Zone, which is described as a football comedy that is not about football.

Meanwhile, Andy Serkis is executive producing an adaptation of the Half Bad books by Sally Green. The series will tell the story of Nathan, who is the teenage son of the world’s most feared witch.

Rowan Atkinson, famous for being Mr. Bean, is now the creator and star of the new series Man vs Bee. Atkinson will play a man housesitting an opulent mansion who finds himself at odds with a bee.

The other projects included in the slate are Baby Reindeer, Cuckoo Song, Lockwood & Co, and The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. 

Netflix isn’t slacking across the pond either, as the streaming giant recently acquired the rights to a series starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Billed as an international spy adventure, the still-untitled series is created by Nick Santora.

Starring alongside Schwarzenegger is actress Monica Barbaro, whose previous credits include roles in The Good Cop, Stumptown, Splitting Up Together, Chicago P.D., and UnREAL.

Back in September, Netflix also announced that they had acquired the world rights to Malcolm and Marie, which is a film directed by Euphoria creator Sam Levinson. Halle Berry’s directorial debut, Bruised, is also another recent Netflix acquisition.