Mélanie Laurent joins Season 5 of Israeli Netflix series 'Fauda' in prominent role

 

Mélanie Laurent, known for her breakout role in Inglourious Basterds and appearances in Denis Villeneuve's Enemy and Michael Bay's 6 Underground, has joined the cast of the fifth season of the Israeli Netflix series Fauda. According to entertainment outlet Deadline, the Cesar award winner is slated to appear in seven of the nine episodes of the upcoming season. Filming is expected to begin later this month.

 

While the casting of Laurent, one of France's most popular names who is also a filmmaker in her own right, doesn't come as a surprise considering her previous collaborations with Fauda's co-creator and lead actor Lior Raz in films such as 6 Underground and Operation Finale. Aside from the aforementioned English-language films, Laurent has appeared in big Hollywood properties like Now You See Me and Murder Mystery 2 (the sequel to the Adam Sandler-starrer).

 

Omri Givon, who directed the fourth season, will be helming the episodes of the new season from a script by Omri Shenhar, who also wrote another hit espionage thriller, the Apple TV+ series Tehran. Fauda is produced by yes TV on which it will be telecast, followed by the Netflix streaming later. 

 

Fauda, which became an instant hit with thriller aficionados, is based on the real-life experiences of Raz and Avi Issacharoff. Raz was once part of the Israeli Defense Forces' elite Duvdevan Unit before he left military life in 1993 to move to the U.S. where Hollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger took him on as his personal bodyguard. Issacharoff, on the other hand, is a journalist-turned-screenwriter.

 

The Netflix series revolves around an elite team of Israeli undercover agents tasked with thwarting terror outfits. The show was also a topic of serious discussions among netizens given its backdrop of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the presence of both Israeli and Palestinian characters. While some argued that the show takes the side of the Israelis, some Palestinian critics have pointed out that the creators have incorporated the Palestinian perspective, despite being limited by their Israeli background. 

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