Noticias

Led by “Severance” star Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, “Reykjavic Fusion,” one of the highest-profile competition contenders at France’s Canneseries, is described by executive producer Erik Barmack of Wild Sheep Content as “‘Breaking Bad’ meets ‘The Bear.’”

When protagonist Jónas, a gifted chef imprisoned supposedly for tax fraud, gets out and opens a restaurant backed by a crime lord, his life becomes a daily exercise in damage control, as his life spirals into crime.

All Jonas wants is to develop his passion for haute cuisine, featuring “Icelandic ingredients cooked Asian style, with all kinds of secret twists,” as he explains to his fellow cons. But he’s soon a reluctant accomplice to murder and drowning with debt, jeopardizing his parole, life, and loved ones.

Chic, sleak, fast-paced, packed with action near unprecedented in Icelandic series such as car chases, “Rekjavik Fusion” plays out on a far larger canvas than nearly all Icelandic series.

Erik Barmack’s “Fusion,” Sally Wainwright’s “Riot Women” and epic fantasy “War of the Kingdoms” feature as potential highlights at the Series Mania Forum’s first Buyers Upfront, whose lineup was announced Tuesday by Series Mania founder and director general Laurence Herszberg.

Kicking off with a Beta Brunch on March 24, the Buyers Upfront also features latest series from Ard, Zdf Studios, Mediawan, Sidus, Beta Film, Slot Machine, REinvent and Bande à Part Films – making for a mouthwatering prospect.

The Upfront also underscores two trends: a move into English-language production which has larger U.S. streamer sales prospects; an increasingly attractive financing model, at least for selectively produced foreign-language shows, based on tying down partners and pre-sales among local broadcasters in Europe rather than waiting for currently highly challenging U.S. deal with a streamer.

Part of producer-distributor Erik Barmack’s drive at Wild Sheep Content into “top talent from smaller countries,...

Greenlit is the international series showcase at Mia and a spot where juicy new titles are seen, often for the first time. The seven-strong lineup spans big-ticket sequels and prequels – step forward Italian giants Gomorrah and The Law According to Lidia Poët – new originals, adaptations and remakes. Paolo Ciccarelli, Head of Drama at Mia, manages the Greenlit program.

Each project is presented on Mia’s main stage by its producers, commissioners or talent. Gomorrah – The Origins is sure to grab attention. From Sky Studios and Cattleya and for Sky Italia, it was created by Leonardo Fasoli and Maddalena Ravagli, and tells the story of Pietro Savastano, from a boy the street who rises up the ranks to become the most important crime boss in Naples. Sandokan is a remake of the cult Italian pirate series produced by Lux Vide and Rai for the Italian pubcaster. Turkish star Can Yaman leads the cast,...

Internationally celebrated Icelandic actors Ólafur Darri Ólafsson and Hera Hilmar are set to star in “Reykjavik Fusion,” an Iceland-set crime thriller series that is rapidly racking up pre-sales in multiple territories.

The series’ deals underscore an increasingly attractive financing model, at least for selectively produced foreign-language shows, based on tying down partners and pre-sales among local broadcasters in Europe rather than waiting for a U.S. deal with a streamer for the U.S.

“It’s a dynamic ecosystem in Europe right now, full of potential partners,” said Erik Barmack, whose Wild Sheep Content co-produces and handles the international distribution of “Reykjavik Fusion.”

A familiar hirsute face and huge body for international audiences, Ólafur Darri is known for “The Tourist,” “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” and “True Detective.” He has also played the lead in Icelandic export hits “Trapped” and “The Minister.”

Hilmar starred in Peter Jackson’s “Mortal Engines...

Germany’s Zdf Studios has teamed up with Iceland’s ACT4 to develop the Nordic crime thriller “Big Brother,” based on the award-winning debut novel ‘Stóri Bródir’ of Icelandic author Skuli Sigurdsson.

A tale of revenge and justice, “Big Brother” centers on a mysterious figure in black who, every full moon, viciously attacks a person before vanishing into the night. The victims, all unpunished sexual offenders, are carefully selected.

A detective and an investigative journalist team up to solve these crimes, while the story also unfolds from the perspective of this enigmatic assailant, who sees himself as an agent of justice for the victims failed by society.

Actor, producer, screenwriter and ACT4 co-founder Ólafur Darri Ólafsson will serve as showrunner and executive producer. He leads the writers room, which includes actress Aníta Briem who wrote and created the series “As Long as We Live” as well as Anna Gunndís Guðmundsdóttir and Teitur Magnússon.

Arte has boarded “Reykjavik Fusion,” the first series produced by ACT4, an Icelandic banner launched by award-winning industry veterans, including Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (“True Detective”), Hörður Rúnarsson (“Black Sands”), Jónas Margeir Ingólfsson (“The Minister”) and Birkir Blær Ingólfsson (“Thin Ice”).

The high-concept show will be distributed internationally by Wild Sheep Content, led by Erik Barmack, a former Netflix head of international.

Arte has secured the rights to the series for France and German-speaking territories, while Iceland’s Stöð 2 (Channel 2/SÝN) has commissioned it in Iceland.

“Reykjavík Fusion” tells the story of a talented chef who attempts to clear his name and win back his family after wrongful imprisonment. As society turns its back on the ex-convict, his last resort is to accept dirty money to set up a fine-dining restaurant and run a money-laundering operation to pay it back — not only putting his parole in jeopardy but also his...

Icelandic production company Act 4 is set to turn Skuli Sigurdsson’s award-winning Nordic crime novel “Big Brother” (“Stóri bróðir”) into a TV drama.

Act 4, founded earlier this year by a group of top Icelandic industry execs, has optioned Sigurdsson’s chilling debut novel with actor, producer and Act 4 co-founder Olafur Darri Olafsson (“The Tourist”) on board as showrunner and executive producer.

“Big Brother” tells the story of a detective and an investigative journalist who set out to solve a “mysterious case,” according to the logline. “Men are being severely beaten on every full moon by what seems like the same perpetrator. But the story is also told from the perspective of the perpetrator, who considers his crimes an act of retribution for old wrongdoings.”

The story asks tough questions of its audience when it comes to crime and punishment as well as being a critique of society’s failure to properly deal with sexual violence.

Production on mixed-language, eight-part series to commence in early 2024.

Los Angeles-based Upgrade Productions is partnering with Iceland’s new Act 4 and Croatia’s Drugi Plan on the eco-thriller Volcano.

The eight-part series follows surviving residents from a volcano which has devasted Iceland as they are relocated to Croatia under a Un directive and must learn how to live together, survive cultural clashes and ultimately help each other.

Production on the mixed-language series – which will be in English, Icelandic, Croatian – is scheduled to start early next year and will take place in Iceland and Croatia.

Act 4, the production company led...

The aftermath of a deadly volcanic eruption will set the stage for a new eco-thriller between Los Angeles-based Upgrade Productions, Iceland’s Act 4 and Croatia’s Drugi Plan.

The eight-part series is produced by Act 4, the newly announced production company led by prominent Icelandic creatives, including “True Detective” actor Ólafur Darri Ólafsson and “Black Sands” producer Hörður Rúnarsson, and Croatia’s Drugi Plan, led by Nebojsa Taraba and Miodrag Sila.

Executive produced by Upgrade Productions, “Volcano” is based on an original idea by Taraba and Sila and written by Rúnarsson and Mateja Božičević (Prime Video’s “Carnival Row”). The mixed-language series will be shot in Iceland and Croatia, with production scheduled to start early next year.

After a crushing volcanic eruption devastates Iceland, a Un directive relocates the surviving residents to Croatia. “Volcano” follows the tensions that arise as these vastly different societies...

“Black Sands” producer Glassriver, one of Scandinavia’s fastest-growing production powerhouses, is teaming with a powerful writing duo, Ragnar Bragason and Snjolaug Ludviksdottir, to create “Magaluf.”

Currently in development, “Magaluf” marks a high-profile projects at late June’s Conecta Fiction in Spain, where it competes in the forum’s CoPro Series section.

One of Iceland’s most consistently prized top writers and directors and creator and head writer on “Magaluf,” Bragason’s credits include movie 2013’s “Metalhead,” which wonbest Nordic film at Göteborg, and in series, “The Night Shift,” part of a larger hit dramedy franchise, and the admired international sales hit “Prisoners.”

A stand-up comedian, Ludviksdottir co-writes. “She is a wonderful writer and writes three of the six episodes and on top of that ensuring that the female characters really come to life in a meaningful way,” said Glassriver co-owner Hörður Rúnarsson, a producer on the show with Arnbjorg...

Icelandic international star Aníta Breim is making her debut as a creator and writer with the drama series “As Long as We Live” turning on love, lust and longing.

Now in development, the six-part series, which is produced by Glassriver for Iceland’s Channel 2, has just been picked up for global distribution by Eccho Rights.

Writer-creator Briem and producer Hörður Rúnarsson will be pitching the show in-person at the Göteborg Film Festival’s TV Drama Vision confab, which runs Feb 2-3.

Briem will be toplining the show as Beta, a former queen of pop, now a struggling mom in a stale marriage, longing for the thrills of her past life. When a young man enters her home and introduces her and her husband to flirting games, the couple’s relationship gets rekindled, as they tread a path of lust and excitement. But can their marriage survive?

Briem told Variety...

GÖTEBORG, Sweden All3Media is to handle international rights on Icelandic crime series “Black Sands” which, currently in development, is to be pitched at the Göteborg Festival’s TV Drama Vision confab on Thursday.

“Black Sands” marks the first crime thriller to be created by Icelandic helmer Baldvin Z (“Trapped”) since the hit series “Case.” Commissioned by Iceland’s Channel 2, the eight-part series is co-penned by Baldvin Z (aka Baldvin Zophoníasson) with Ragnar Jonsson and “Valhalla Murders”’ actor Aldís Hamilton, who has cornered the title role. Co-stars include Baldvin Z regular collaborator Thorsteinn Bachmann and New York The Julliard School alumnus Thorvaldur Kristjansson (“Dracula Untold”). Production is slated to start next year.

“Black Sands” is produced by Baldvin Z’s own shingle Glassriver, which he set up in the wake of “Case”’s success in 2016, along with writer/creator Andri Óttarson seasoned producer Abby Haflidadóttir, and producer/CEO Hörður Rúnarsson.