When Netflixâs hit show âEmily in Parisâ revealed at the end of season four that its lead character was heading to Rome, it caught many viewers by surprise. Now, French President Emmanuel Macron has waded into the conversation and said the country âwill fight hardâ to stop the show relocating to Italyâs capital.
âWe will ask them to remain in Paris, âEmily in Parisâ in Rome doesnât make sense,â he told Variety in an interview published Wednesday.
The show centres around 20-something American marketing executive Emily Cooper, played by Lily Collins, who moves from Chicago to Paris for a job and enjoys la belle vie in the French capital. It frequently ranks among Netflixâs most-watched shows and when the streaming giant renewed it for a fifth season, its creator Darren Star said Emily will now âhave a presence in Rome.â
Following the French presidentâs comments, Romeâs mayor Roberto Gualtieri posted a tongue-in-cheek response on X, writing: âDear Emmanuel Macron, donât worry: Emily is doing great in Rome. And one canât control the heart: letâs let her choose.â
Gualtieri added in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter Roma: âDoesnât President Macron have more pressing matters to worry about?â
Gualtieri said: âI would like to believe, at least I would like to hope, that Macron was joking, because he ought to know that a production company like Netflix does not take orders from heads of state or make decisions based on political pressure.â
Macron has long been associated with the show. His wife, Brigitte, made a cameo in season four when Emily spotted her in a café and asked for a selfie. And in the showâs fictional universe, Brigitte shares one of Emilyâs social media posts in season one that expressed shock that the French word for vagina â le vagin â is masculine.
âI was super proud, and she was very happy to do it,â Macron said about his wifeâs cameo. âItâs just a few minutes, but I think it was a very good moment for her. I think itâs good for the image of France. âEmily in Parisâ is super positive in terms of attractiveness for the country. For my own business, itâs a very good initiative.â
While the show has drawn criticism from some French viewers for leaning into Parisian clichés and avoiding issues like homelessness in the city, it has boosted tourism to the countryâs capital, a study conducted by Franceâs national film centre found in January.
Around one tenth of tourists decided to visit France after viewing a particular movie or series and in 38 per cent of those instances, it was âEmily in Parisâ that provided the inspiration for a French vacation, the study found.
But despite his wifeâs associations with the show and its impact on tourism, Macron has no plans to make his own cameo appearance.
âIâm less attractive than Brigitte,â he told Variety.