News

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,...

Exclusive: Icelandic drama Manifesto has been boarded by local streamer Síminn and European distributor Wild Bunch TV.

The six-episode drama is currently in development and will be pitched at the TV Drama Vision sidebar at the Göteborg Film Festival. Based on true events, comes from Glassriver, the prolific Icelandic producer behind Cold Haven and Black Sands, and is written by journalist and screenwriter Urður Egilsdóttir.

Plot is set to the backdrop of the aftermath of Iceland’s first-ever terrorist attack, which shatters peaceful nation. An aspiring police officer, Harpa, is forced to prove her childhood friends’ innocence after it emerges one of them, Matti, was responsible. Matti releases a manifesto warning of a second, deadlier attack.

Producers say it is “crime thriller with a unique focus on the lives caught in between – not just the perpetrators or the victims – but the friends and family left to grapple with betrayal, suspicion,...

Eva Björg Ægisdóttir’s best-selling crime series “Elma” is set for a TV adaptation after Icelandic production company Glassriver optioned the rights.

The series follows police detective Elma, who returns to work at the local police station in her small hometown of Akranes, Iceland, after a disastrous romance goes wrong.

“When a woman’s body is found lying at the foot of a lighthouse, terrible secrets could well resurface from the past,” reads the logline. “In this small Icelandic town with its oppressive atmosphere, could salvation come to Elma from her colleague Saevar?”

The first book in the series is titled “The Creak on the Stairs” while the follow-up is “Girls Who Life.” Ægisdóttir’s books have been translated into 23 languages but the series has been a particular hit in France, where it has reached over 100,000 readers.

D H H Literary Agency’s David Headley negotiated the deal in association with The Artists Partnership.

Exclusive: Cold Haven, the Icelandic-Portuguese crime thriller drama, has wrapped shooting and we have first-look images of the series here.

The eight-part show from Iceland’s Glassriver and Portugal’s Spi probes the immigration experience, following Icelandic detective Soffia as she attempts to solve a murder within the Portuguese community on Iceland’s Westman Islands.

Cold Haven (aka Refúgio do Medo), which is for Icelandic streamer Síminn and Rtp in Portugal, is predominantly set on the Icelandic archipelago Vestmannaeyjar, the country’s capital Reykjavík and the Portuguese city of Lisbon.

Kristín Þóra Haraldsdóttir (Let Me Fall, The Valhalla Murders), Anna Svava Knútsdóttir, Elva Ósk Ólafsdóttir and Sveinn Ólafur Gunnarsson are among the Icelandic cast, with Maria João Bastos, Catarina Rebelo, Ivo Canelas (Glória), Rui Morisson and Cleia Almeida (Nazaré) from the Portuguese side.

Filipa Poppe, Joana Andrade, and Sveinbjörn I. Baldvinsson wrote the show, with Arnór Pálmi Arnarsson and Tiago Alvarez Marques directing. About Premium Content is on international distribution ahead of a 2025 launch on Síminn and Rtp.

“As we ramp up our slate of international co-productions, we could not ask for better partners on Cold Haven than Spi and About Premium Content,” said Andri Ómarsson, executive producer and CEO of Glassriver. “It is a series that merges the stunning landscapes of Vestmannaeyjar with the vibrant culture of Lisbon. This crime thriller is a testament to the power of international collaboration.”

Ómarsson added Síminn and Rtp “as broadcasters have been fundamental for the project and we appreciate their involvement.”

Glassriver’s slate includes eight-episode drama As Long As We Live, medical drama Fractures and Black Sands, which was selected for a world premiere at Berlinale and has been commissioned for further seasons.

Birkir Agustsson, VP of Media at Síminn, said the series “perfectly aligns with our commitment to bringing high-quality, compelling stories to our viewers,” adding: “Partnering with Glassriver and Spi on this international co-production allows us to deliver a visually striking and emotionally engaging crime thriller that will resonate with audiences both in Iceland and abroad.”

“We believe that what drew us to this story is also what sparked the interest of Rtp in Portugal and Síminn in Iceland, as well as the French-origin international distributor About Premium Content,” said Pedro Lopes, executive producer and Content Director at Spi. “The work process has been challenging, but it is a great pleasure to have as partners an experienced and creative production company like Glassriver, with whom we have built a relationship of trust, mutual respect, and deep friendship.”

Spi is known as Netflix’s first original production in Portugal, Glória. Also on its slate is Motel Valkirias, for Rtp, TV Galicia and HBO in Portugal and Spain and the series Vanda, which is distributed by Legendary.

Rtp’s José Fragoso added the co-production was “unprecedented and unique” co-production.

“In recent years, Rtp has been involved in the production of international fiction projects, in collaboration with partners in Spain, Brazil, or France, but the series Cold Haven opens a new path of collaboration, this time with a geographically distant region from our country, but one that is highly relevant in the production of quality fiction.

“The Nordic countries are a global reference in the audiovisual sector, and this co-production with Rtp will be a unique opportunity for Portuguese teams – writers, actors, directors, and producers – to share knowledge and experiences with Icelandic professionals. The result will undoubtedly be an exciting thriller, filmed in two countries with radically different, yet equally inspiring, atmospheres.”...

Photo: Kristoffer Polaha, Lacey Chabert

Credit: ©2024 Hallmark Media/Photographer: Eva Rut Hjaltadottir

Filmed on location in spectacular Iceland, The Christmas Quest airs as part of the popular Countdown to Christmas 2024.

Lacey Chabert and Kristoffer Polaha are starring for the first time together in the new, original movie, The Christmas Quest.

Meanwhile, Lacey’s 15th Christmas movie was filmed on location in Iceland and premieres on December 1 as part of Hallmark Channel’s Countdown To Christmas 2024. Read on to find out more about the movie and its cast and watch a trailer.

The Christmas Quest on Hallmark Channel Photo: Lacey Chabert

Credit: ©2024 Hallmark Media/Photographer: Eva Rut Hjaltadottir

According to the official synopsis, the movie, filmed in the breathtaking backdrop of Iceland tells the story of archaeologist Stefanie (Chabert). She embarks on a mission to track down the legendary Treasure of the Yule Lads, a quest that was her late mother’s lifelong dream.

Viaplay’s streaming service — specializing in award-winning Scandinavian series and films — is now available as an add-on subscription on Amazon’s Prime Video Channels in the United States.

Starting Wednesday, Prime members in the U.S. will be able to sign up for Viaplay for $5.99 per month (with a seven-day free trial available for eligible customers) through Prime Video Channels.

In February, Viaplay shut down its own app and direct-to-consumer streaming service in the U.S. and Canada, and the company has now focused its international distribution strategy in building growth via partnerships. Viaplay is already available in North America through partner platforms such as Comcast Xfinity, the Roku Channel and Xumo.

Viaplay said its U.S. content offering centers on “the Nordic region’s high-quality and psychologically penetrating series and films, from atmospheric and suspenseful crime dramas and provocative and stylish young-adult series to award-winning dramas and riveting documentaries.

For those who’ve had their fill of Hallmark movies and more traditional seasonal fare, The Hollywood Reporter‘s annual list of the best in international TV offers some binge alternatives for the lazy days between Christmas and New Year’s. There’re nary a Santa or sleighbells to be found among our picks of foreign series fare, but fans of global TV will find plenty to chew on over the holidays, whether it’s a political thriller set in Senegal, a Korean drama about mental health, or a bizarre Danish comedy-soap from an old arthouse master.

Colin from Accounts (Watch on: Paramount+) Patrick Brammall and Harriet Dyer in ‘Colin From Accounts.’

This charming and disarmingly cringe Aussie rom-com kicks off with one of the most original meet-cutes in the genre: Gordon (Patrick Brammall) stops his car to let Ashley (Harriet Dyer) cross the street. In a cheeky thank you,...

The first season sold widely around the world.

Iceland’s Glassriver is gearing up to shoot the second season of its hit series Black Sands, from showrunner Baldvin Z.

The partners again on board for the second season are Iceland’s Channel 2, All3Media, which handles international rights, Belgium’s Lunanime and Vrt, and Finland’s Yle.

The first season sold well – including to Viaplay with rights in several European territories and the US (where the show launched on July 20), Alibi for the UK, Disney+ for the Netherlands and Luxembourg, Canal+ for Poland, Sbs in Australia, Axn Mystery Channel in Japan,...

Crime shows look for a new angle, argued Berlinale Series participants on Monday.

There is no shortage of new offerings, from Berlinale Market Selects’ “Two Sides of the Abyss,” Serbia’s “The Fall” or South Africa’s “Donkerbos,” created by Nico Scheepers, to China’s melancholic, decades-spanning “Why Try to Change Me Now,” with Golden Bear winner Yinan Diao attached as executive producer.

But while there is still an appetite for traditional detective stories, producers and broadcasters are venturing out of the “damaged, middle-aged white detective slot on a Sunday night,” suggested All3Media International’s Rachel Glaister. They are also thinking about their younger audience.

“[‘The Gymnasts’] wasn’t born as a pure crime show. We were also attracted by other themes, including coming-of-age,” said Carlotta Claori of Indigo Film when discussing the series about a tournament in the Italian Alps, gone horribly wrong.

With “The Gymnasts” adding a female detective, absent...

Aníta Briem creates and stars in “As Long as We Live,” an upcoming miniseries about a new mother – and once promising musician – suffocating in her marriage. But things change when a young man, her new nanny, starts giving the couple little “assignments” to do.

“This boy is like Mary Poppins! He brings this new, sexy element into their home that neither of them can control. He helps them rediscover each other,” explains Briem.

“Beta has an 18-month-old child, she is in the midst of postnatal depression, but at the same time her body is becoming her own once again. I use sexuality as a representation for her awakening. She has this whole world locked away inside of her head and a big part of her journey is to bring it all out.”

She drew on her own life for inspiration, she says.

“I also found myself at a point where...

A group of prominent Icelandic creatives, including “True Detective” actor Ólafur Darri Ólafsson and “As Long As We Live” producer Hörður Rúnarsson, have formed a new production company with an eye on making premium Nordic programs for a global audience.

Act 4 recently completed a financing round backed by an international group of investors. The financing was completed in December in cooperation with the Reykjavík-based law firm Lmg. Act 4 will present a new slate of projects to partners at upcoming industry markets.

In addition to Ólafsson and Rúnarsson, the other two co-founders of Act 4 are Jónas Margeir Ingólfsson and Birkir Blær Ingólfsson.

Ólafsson, an award-winning Icelandic-American actor, producer and screenwriter, has worked with the likes of Steven Spielberg, Ben Stiller and Scott Frank. His acting credits include “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” “Fantastic Beasts,” “True Detective,” “The Bfg” and “The Minister,...

ITV Studios, Fremantle and Federation Studios, partnering with Apple Tree Productions, Elisa Viihde and TV 2 Norge, will go head to head with Nordic powerhouses Glassriver and Dr at next year’s Nordisk Film & TV Fond Prize which promises to underscore the large breadth of current Scandinavia scripted series.

Backed by the Göteborg Film Festival and Nordisk Film & TV Fond, the 7th edition of the Prize, awarded to series’ main writers, also looks set to shine a spotlight on high-profile and on-the-rise writing talent such as Icelandic thesp Anita Briem, who played Jean Seymour in “The Tudors,” and Finnish creator-director Matti Kinnunen, whose “Cargo” was reckoned one of the strongest contenders at the 2021 Prize.

Carrying a €20,000 cash endowment, the Prize will be presented on Feb. 1 to the winning series’ main writer at TV Drama Vision, the Göteborg Film Festival’s conference event and series market.

“Today there is a...

“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...

The Berlinale was the world’s first big festival to embrace drama series, launching Berlinale Series in 2015 and adding a year later an industry component, known from 2019 as the Berlinale Series Market. It has grown into one of continental Europe’s biggest TV events. Following, seven takes on this year’s edition.

TV Tail Wags Film Dog

The Berlinale Series Market used to be a burgeoning sidebar. Now, added to the Festival’s Berlinale Series section, it’s the biggest industry event at the Berlin Festival. That’s of course a sign of the times. In 2017, almost 70% of the U.K.’s film/high-end TV production spend went to film. In 2021, the ratio was reversed, with the Hetv sector accounting for a massive $5.6 billion – 73% – of a total $7.6 billion spend, according to a BFI report. Money talks. Many Berlin competition movies are produced and sold by companies whose revenues might not reach $1 million a year.

There are few places on Earth more visually striking than the Black Sands of Reynisfjara Beach in Iceland, where tourists flock to take pictures and stand a fool’s chance to be smashed against the rocks by sneaker waves, then drowned at sea. These dangerous and beautiful beaches serve as backdrop for Icelandic showrunner Baldvin Z’s crime thriller series “Black Sands,” which will play at Berlinale Series. Written by Baldvin Z, Ragnar Jónsson, Andri Óttarsson and Aldís Hamilton, the limited series follows disgraced detective Anita (played by Hamilton) as she investigates a series of deaths at the beach while balancing the familial shadows of her past.

The series, produced by Baldvin Z’s own Glassriver, brings a warmth to Nordic Noir not often seen, with scenes of Anita reconnecting and rekindling her hometown connections after expulsion from Reykjavik. Still, the coin flips and the bodies begin to pile up.

Since its launch in 2015, the Berlinale Series section has emerged as a kind of a boutique scripted TV fest set within a major film festival.

The Berlinale was famously the first A-list festival to embrace changing viewer habits and to officially incorporate television drama into its lineup — and this head-start is reflected in the growing stature of Berlinale Series.

Taking place over a concentrated three-day period (Feb. 14-16), Berlinale Series offers up seven world and international premieres from around 200 entries, giving each of them the red-carpet treatment at the Zoo Palast cinema.

Running parallel, the Berlinale Series Market — part of the European Film Market — offers up an online conference program, showcases and screenings. Its Berlinale Series Market Selects curates a selection of 14 series being traded on the market. Meanwhile, Co-Pro Series looks to pair 10 early-stage international series projects with co-producers and financiers through a series of pitches and meetings.

Head...

Exclusive: The Berlin Film Festival and accompanying European Film Market may be all about the big screen but, over the past few years, the Berlinale Series has been growing in stature. Series Head Julia Fidel has watched as the barriers between film and TV have broken down and more and more stars, writers and execs behind the biggest movies have chosen to helm TV projects.

There are seven shows in the Berlinale Series this year and many more Series Market Selects, ranging from a world premier for Amazon Prime’s Argentinian Yosi, the Regretful Spy to Sky UK’s supernatural crime thriller The Rising to Czech Republic/French co-pro Podezření (Suspicion). We caught up with Julia about this year’s crop and got her thoughts on the much-evolving TV landscape.

Deadline: Talk us through this year’s Series list?

Julia Fidel: We are so excited about these seven titles,...

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...

The program announcements continue for this year’s Berlin International Film Festival, with the Series and Generation strands both unveiling today, as well as the line-up for the Co-Production Market. Scroll down for the lists of titles.

The Berlinale Series selection, which is increasingly becoming a more high-profile part of the festival, again boasts several buzzy titles.

Premiering in Berlin will be Amazon Prime Video’s Argentinian series Yosi, The Regretful Spy, the Swedish show Lust from HBO Max, Sky’s UK series The Rising, and Lone Scherfig Danish show The Shift, which comes from local broadcaster TV2.

The Generation strand, which features youth-focused cinema, includes 14 features this year. The selection marks the last of long-time Generation head Maryanne Redpath.

Elsewhere, the European Film Market has confirmed titles for its Co-Production Market, which like the rest of the industry activity will take place virtually this year.

The Berlinale runs February 10-20 this year,...