Netflix’s high-speed race for dominance in the streaming market showed no signs of slowing after the release of The Protector in December 2018. The company embraced the strategy of creating native shows for the major markets of the world, convinced that access to these programs would encourage locals to subscribe to the service and thus expose them to all of the service’s programs.
So far, it has worked, especially with the release of The Protector movie, which was very well received in the country of production, Turkey, and also achieved international success. The show went into production on March 7, 2018, after Netflix announced the purchase of the rights to the show earlier in the month.
The film is being shot in Istanbul, in another film’s commitment to Netflix’s indigenous theme and the show’s strategic direction. It’s produced by Jason George and Alex Sutherland, who both have a track record that includes Argo, Narcos and Scandal.
As for the creative team of the show, it was created from Binnur Karaevli with the film direction mainly led by Can Evrenol, Umut Aral and Gonenc Uyanik. While the show is sold to international audiences as The Protector, it is marketed as Hakan: Muhafiz to Turkish audiences.
The Protector – Land
Istanbul is basically one of the most important mystical cities. Its rich history from the Ottoman Empire to modern Turkish infrastructure makes it one of the most magical places in the world. The show takes advantage of the city’s personality to tell the story of a man, Hakan, played by one of the stars of Turkish cinema, Çatagay. Ulusoy, who is a merchant in town.
On his way to realizing his dream of opening a boutique in town, his training eventually leads him to Erdem, a businessman he looks up to and looks up to. Eventually, he discovers that he belongs to the race of a group of people whose main goal is to defend the city of Istanbul against Immortal. Having learned of his responsibility, Hakan is engaged in a battle for the city and his own internal battle to embrace his life as the city’s protector or pursue another path.
The show’s writing and plot make it an attractive place to watch, which has so far been well received by the binge-watching community around the world. The show features action, fantasy, and sci-fi, giving audiences a bit of all the elements expected of an upbeat production.
Where can you watch the show?
As mentioned earlier, the show is a Netflix production and as such is available to every Netflix user with a subscription. For those interested in the show without an active Netflix account or subscription, Netflix is offering the first month of each new account for free. Simply go to the Netflix website and register your account.
Seasons and episodes
The show was first released on December 14, 2018, fans and interested viewers have a chance to catch a fantastic new show to feast on and enjoy during the holiday season. The first season of the series aired in 10 episodes. The first season was all about Hakan’s journey from discovering his purpose and ancient society to ending his internal conflict over accepting his role as Protector.
Each episode has an average duration of 40 minutes. The show adopts a simple episode nomenclature, with episodes being named in numerical order.
For those who may have fallen in love with the show, we wonder how Hakan and Leyla’s story ends, as the second season of the series has been ordered by Netflix. The second season was announced shortly after the release of the first season, a sign of confidence and faith in the quality of the show. So far, the show maintains a 7.7 out of 10 rating on IMDb.
Cast and characters
The Protector features a very small cast of mostly Turkish actors. The show, which is helmed by Turkish Heart Cattagay filmmaker Çatagay Ulusoy, is made up of a small main cast and a few lead actors, which has helped it maintain a captivating and engaging story, brought to you by a talented cast. Here’s a look at the cast and their various characters.
Catagay Ulusoy – Hakan Demir
Çatagay Ulusoy is one of Turkey’s beloved actors, and he was perfectly cast to play the lead role in this groundbreaking Netflix show. The actor/model who started his career in 2009 has featured in some of Turkey’s biggest projects, including the Turkish version of The OC, Medcezir, etc., among other roles. He also starred in Icerde. In film, his credits include roles in Anadolu Kartallari and Delibal, both in 2011 and 2015 respectively.
As a model, he was named the best model in Turkey as a teenager and model of the year. Çatagay Ulusoy currently lives in Santa Monica, California. He is expected to reprise his role in the second season of the series.
Ayca Aysin Turan – Leyla Sancak
Years studying Cinema TV in IstanbulUniversity brought Ayca Aysin to star in a native but international production like The Protector. Born to a Turkish father and mother, she was interested in art, especially violin and theater from an early age. Passion for the latter is now on the brink of world fame after her appearance in The Protector in Leyla Sancak, Hakan Demir’s love interest and personal assistant to his boss, his ultimate enemy. The chemistry between Leyla and Hakan is one of the highlights of the series. After Hakan’s decision at the end of the first season, she is expected to return for the show’s second season.
Hazar Erguclu – Zeynep
Hazar Erguclu is a Turkish Cypriot actress who plays Zeynep on The Protector. Zeynep is one of the Loyal Ones, a group of people who took responsibility for protecting the city of Istanbul. With her help and the rest of the group, Hakan trains and learns more about the ancient secret society.
The show is not Hazar Erguclu’s first rodeo in television show. Born to a mother who worked in a television station, Hazar has quite a lot of experience in the world of television, with experiences from shows such as Kuzey Guney, Medcezir, Ruya Gibi and Yuksek Sosyete. In film, she acted in Kar, Mahalle, Manyak and some others. She started her professional acting career in 2010. She is also set to reprise her role in the show’s second season after starring in all episodes of the first season.
Okan Yalabik – Faysal Erdem
Every good hero story needs a good villain and, in The Protector, that role is played by Okan Yalabik, who stars in the series as Faysal Erdem, a wealthy Turkish businessman with business connections. questionable. He begins to be revered by Hakan, and when Haken discovers the ancient Order he is a part of, we learn of the conflict between him and his mentor. Okan Yalabik, another Turkish actor in the series, graduated in theater from Istanbul University State Conservatory. Entirely dedicated to art, he also has a master’s degree in cinema and theater from Kadir Has University. Since making his official on-screen debut as an actor, he has appeared in over 20 movies and TV shows. Okan is also a theater actor.
Mehmet Kurtulus – Mazhar Dragusha
Mehmet Kurtulus plays Mazhar Dragusha on the Protector. Mazhar is also one of the Loyal Ones who, along with Zeynep, helps Hakan learn his fate and sets him on the path to defeating The Immortal. As the main member of The Loyal Ones, he is set to reprise his role for the show’s second season.
Mehmet is a German-born Turkish actor whose acting career includes work on international projects like Big Game with iconic movie star, Samuel L. Jackson. He starred in more than 22 films and television shows during a career that began in 1993. He is one of the few internationally renowned actors in the series to have received awards from the Locarno International Film Festival and Grimme-Preis.
The cast of the series includes the following actors and actresses – Yurdear Okur as Kemal, Cankat Aydos as Memo, Helon Kandemir as Ceylon, Erol Gedik as Murat, Senay Aydin as Derya, Defne Kayalar as Suzan Bayraktar among others.
The Protector Season 2: Will there be another series?
The second season of the show was announced three days after the release of the first season. The show, which is Netflix’s attempt to strengthen its international foothold in the streaming market, has been very well received by Turkish and international viewers.
As for the release date of the second season, there’s no word yet on the streaming giant, but it’s expected to release around the same timeframe as the first season, which means fans can expect what the show takes place in the winter of 2019.
The main cast of the series are expected to return for the second season with the show possibly adding new cast members in establishing the show’s universe. The plot for the second season has yet to be announced, but all indications are that it would be an exploration of Hakan’s decision to choose love over his responsibility to defend the city.