Italy leads franchise’s overseas expansion, with Mexico, Sweden, US, France installments to come
The Italian version of Netflix Korea’s hit "Physical: 100" is set to premiere Friday, marking the franchise’s first fully overseas-produced adaptation.
"Physical: 100" pits 100 contestants against one another in a series of demanding physical challenges to determine the top all-around athlete. The Korean original launched in 2023 and quickly became a global hit, making history as the first Korean unscripted series to top Netflix’s global top 10 TV chart for non-English titles.
The franchise has had two seasons in Korea. In 2025, the competition grew bigger with "Physical: Asia," which brought together contestants from across Asia and Australia, including former Korean "Physical: 100" winners as well as Philippine boxing legend Manny Pacquiao.
Now, the franchise is moving into fully localized overseas productions with "Physical 100: Italy."
According to Netflix, the Italian edition follows the original format, bringing together 100 contestants from a range of athletic and entertainment backgrounds for physical trials designed to test their strength, endurance and mental toughness. The lineup includes Olympic champions, professional athletes, content creators and celebrities, competing at Turin’s Lingotto arena.
Among the contestants are former Italian national rugby player Mirco Bergamasco, multiple Olympic medalist Tania Cagnotto, kickboxer and Italian showbiz personality Elisabetta Canalis, Olympic gymnastics champion Jury Chechi, swimming star Federica Pellegrini, former rugby player and TV personality Alvise Rigo and content creator Luis Sal.
Netflix said the casting process for "Physical 100: Italy" drew more than 1,000 potential contestants, with 187 Zoom auditions conducted over 130 hours. The final cast ranges in age from 22 to 60 and represents a broad range of disciplines, including triathlon, wrestling, American football, skeleton, Hyrox and calcio storico Fiorentino, a full-contact blend of soccer and rugby regional to Florence. The series is directed by Alessio Pollacci.
The first three episodes premiere Friday, followed by episodes four and five on Sept. 18, episodes six and seven on Sept. 25 and the finale on Oct. 2.
"Physical 100: Italy" joins the franchise’s expanding international slate, which includes the previously announced "Physical 100: Mexico," "Physical 100: Sweden," "Physical 100: USA" and "Physical 100: France."
“Physical 100: Mexico” has confirmed its Netflix premiere for Wednesday.
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