‘Emily in Paris’ sparks fight between Italy, France

When Netflix’s hit show “Emily in Paris” 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 “will fight hard” to stop the show relocating to Italy’s capital.

“We will ask them to remain in Paris, ‘Emily in Paris’ in Rome doesn’t make sense,” 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 Netflix’s most-watched shows and when the streaming giant renewed it for a fifth season, its creator Darren Star said Emily will now “have a presence in Rome.”

Following the French president’s comments, Rome’s mayor Roberto Gualtieri posted a tongue-in-cheek response on X, writing: “Dear Emmanuel Macron, don’t worry: Emily is doing great in Rome. And one can’t control the heart: let’s let her choose.”

Gualtieri added in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter Roma: “Doesn’t President Macron have more pressing matters to worry about?”

Gualtieri said: “I 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.”

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 show’s fictional universe, Brigitte shares one of Emily’s social media posts in season one that expressed shock that the French word for vagina – le vagin – is masculine.

“I was super proud, and she was very happy to do it,” Macron said about his wife’s cameo. “It’s just a few minutes, but I think it was a very good moment for her. I think it’s good for the image of France. ‘Emily in Paris’ is super positive in terms of attractiveness for the country. For my own business, it’s a very good initiative.”

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 country’s capital, a study conducted by France’s 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 “Emily in Paris” that provided the inspiration for a French vacation, the study found.

But despite his wife’s associations with the show and its impact on tourism, Macron has no plans to make his own cameo appearance.

“I’m less attractive than Brigitte,” he told Variety.