Netflix is preparing to launch one of its most ambitious European dramatic productions, the series Amsterdam Empire. Classified as a crime and suspense drama, this Dutch, Belgian, and Luxembourgish production delves into the heart of the cannabis business in Amsterdam, promising a narrative that balances the inherent “glamour and grit” of the industry. The production consists of an initial season of seven episodes, a format that suggests a concise and high-intensity dramatic narrative.
The decision to produce the series in the Dutch language underscores a trend in streaming platforms to invest in high-caliber regional content. This approach is crucial for authentically representing the specific criminal and legal landscape of the Netherlands, where the coffee shop business operates in a complex gray area. By centering the plot on an empire built on these contradictions, the series is positioned to offer a detailed exploration that seeks to avoid traditional cannabis-related clichés, ensuring a more realistic portrayal of modern culture and drug business logistics. The duality between the protagonist’s opulent wealth and the violence and murkiness of his business foundations is the aesthetic and moral engine of the series.
The Central Dynamic: The Fall of the Jackal Empire Through Domestic Betrayal
The narrative core of Amsterdam Empire revolves around the figure of Jack van Doorn and the implosion of his personal life, which threatens to destroy the vast empire he has built. Jack van Doorn (played by Jacob Derwig) is the rich and notorious founder of the coffee shop empire known as “Jackal.” Jack’s character is defined by his constant struggle, having spent his entire career fighting not only criminals and direct competitors but also what official descriptions call “absurd Dutch laws” on his path to becoming the sector’s biggest entrepreneur.
The series uses spousal betrayal as a catalyst to trigger a power struggle with business and criminal implications. Jack’s stability begins to crumble when his affair with a well-known journalist becomes public. This event introduces Jack’s most dangerous antagonist: his betrayed wife, Betty (played by Famke Janssen).
Betty, The Ex-Diva’s Vengeance: The Enemy Under the Same Roof
Betty, a former pop diva, is not simply an emotional victim but a destructive force with intimate knowledge of her husband’s life and business. Betty is also presented as a vengeful and pregnant divorcée. The official synopsis states that Betty knows all of Jack’s “weak spots and secrets,” making her the only person capable of dismantling his power structure from within. Her goal is total revenge: a bitter plan designed to “destroy him and seize his beloved coffee shop empire, the Jackal.”
This premise suggests that the series goes beyond divorce drama, setting itself up as a hostile takeover thriller where personal knowledge becomes a professional weapon. The external fortress Jack built fighting the underworld and the law proves useless against the psychological and operational assault Betty can launch. This conflict raises the stakes to the level of a fight for succession and financial control, exploiting the operational or financial vulnerabilities Jack van Doorn necessarily concealed to manage such a prosperous business within the Dutch market’s legal ambiguity.
Jack’s success was based on navigating the difficult balance between official Dutch tolerance for selling cannabis and the persistent illegality in the supply chain. The fact that he is forced to fight against “absurd laws” suggests that the series will explore how regulatory pressure and systemic contradictions create the perfect environment for figures like Jack to ascend, and how those same contradictions are exploited by Betty in her attempt at destruction.
The Architects of Dutch Crime: The Creative Legacy
The series’ pedigree is a key factor in establishing its status as a benchmark crime drama. Amsterdam Empire is the creation of Nico Moolenaar, Bart Uytdenhouwen, and Piet Matthys. This team of screenwriters and producers is internationally recognized for creating the acclaimed crime series Undercover and Ferry. Their previous work has demonstrated a deep familiarity with the Benelux criminal ecosystem, which ensures realism in the portrayal of the Jackal business.
Nico Moolenaar also serves as an Executive Producer of Amsterdam Empire, alongside lead actress Famke Janssen. Directing duties for the seven episodes are handled by Jonas Govaerts and Max Porcelijn. The series is produced by Pupkin and Sander van Meurs, with A Team Productions co-producing, and its co-production structure involving the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg reinforces the project’s ambition to be a premium production from the region.
The International Face of Conflict: Famke Janssen and the Cast
The cast of Amsterdam Empire combines established Dutch talent with an internationally renowned figure. Famke Janssen, recognized for her work in major Hollywood productions, takes on the role of Betty, and her participation marks her debut in a Dutch production. In addition to her starring role, Janssen is also an Executive Producer, indicating a deep commitment to the project’s direction and quality.
Alongside Janssen, Jacob Derwig plays Jack Van Doorn, the rich and notorious founder of the Jackal coffee shop empire. The cast is rounded out by other prominent names from the Dutch acting scene. These include Elise Schaap, Jade Olieberg, Jesse Mensah, Yannick van de Velde, Romana Vrede, Chris Nietvelt, and actors who play key figures in Jack van Doorn’s network, such as Victor Löw (Bolle) and Bart Slegers (Gijs Tichelaar). The presence of an extensive and experienced cast is necessary to give credibility to the vast Jackal network and the multiple battles it wages, both against the law and against criminal competitors.
Underlying Themes and Narrative Tone
Amsterdam Empire is designed to be a high-voltage thriller where the dynamic of personal revenge overlaps with the business struggle in a black market. The series is committed to a nuanced representation of the cannabis scene in Amsterdam, seeking to distance its approach from the simplistic or cartoonish depictions often seen on television.
The drama centers on the power struggle for control of wealth and legacy. The romantic betrayal (the affair) is the spark, but the battle for Jackal is the substance of the drama. Betty’s exploitation of Jack’s personal secrets to attack his business structure ensures a narrative tone dominated by psychological suspense and continuous tension. The revelation that Betty, the former pop diva, is pregnant while planning to dismantle the empire underscores the personal intensity and the magnitude of what is at stake in this power struggle.
The Dutch regulatory context is a silent character in the series. The description of Jack van Doorn as a man who has fought against “absurd laws” allows the creators to use the family story as a vehicle for social critique, exploring the contradictions of a country that tolerates the sale of soft drugs while criminalizing their production and supply. This exploration of the gray areas between legality and illegality is a distinctive hallmark of the series’ creative team, ensuring that the dramatic focus remains on the complexity of criminal operations rather than mere sensationalism.
Release Date
Amsterdam Empire is established as one of Netflix’s most significant crime drama bets in Europe. With the backing of the creators of the successful Undercover and Ferry, and the presence of Famke Janssen in her first Dutch production, the series offers a detailed and ambitious dive into the murky and glamorous heart of the Jackal coffee shop empire, focusing on how domestic betrayal can bring down the most fortified criminal structures.
The series Amsterdam Empire will be available on Netflix starting October 30.
