NENT’s Viaplay Orders Scandinavian Premium Series ‘Commando,’ ‘Cryptid’
By Elsa Keslassy
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Nordic Entertainment Group (NENT Group), the operator of Scandinavia’s leading streaming service Viaplay, has ordered “Cryptid,” the Swedish-language horror series produced by Dramacorp, and Per-Olav Sørensen’s series “Commando” which is based on actual events and set in Norway, Libya and the UK.
“Commando” is an eight-episode series based on the special operation carried on in 2011 which saw Norwegian F-16 fighter jets drop nearly 600 bombs over Libya. The series follows the stories of four women, an F-16 pilot, a journalist, a possible terrorist and a prime minister, exploring the genesis and consequences of the operation. Sørensen is a popular Norwegian filmmaker whose credits include “Quicksand” and “Nobel.”
Written by Jenny Lund Madsen (“Follow the Money”) and Christian Spurrier (“Spooks”),”Commando” is being produced by Trond Håndlykken Kvernstrøm for The Oslo Company and Anders Tangen for Viafilm.
“The immediacy, urgency and powerful visual language of ‘Commando’, including extensive first-person footage from inside an F-16 jet, showcases his abilities to the full,” said Jakob Mejlhede Andersen, EVP and head of content.
Meanwhile, “Cryptid” takes place in the idyllic lakeside town of Mörkstad, whose peaceful existence is suddenly shattered by a series of terrifying and unexplainable events. Daniel di Grado (“Hidden”) and David Berron (“Hidden”) will direct “Cryptid.” The series is being produced by , the Stockholm-based production company founded by Patrick Nebout in a joint venture with Jan Mojto’s Beta Film. It will start shooting in August in Finland.
The series is executive produced by Dramacorp’s Patrick Nebout (“Midnight Sun,” “Hamilton”), Mia Sohlman (“Hamilton”), and NENT Group’s Fredrik Ljungberg, with Hadis Jabbari (“The Lawyer”) producing.
““Cryptid is our first foray into short-form production and the horror genre, so we thought we’d aim for another first in the process and create a new genre — Nordic Comic Noir, with a unique tone and look inspired by pop graphic novels,” said Nebout, who described the series as “an elevated, sexy, scary coming-of-age thriller with a supernatural twist.”
Both series will premiere across the Nordic region exclusively on Viaplay.
