Iceland’s Glassriver and Portugal’s SPi today announce the completion of production on upcoming crime thriller series “Cold Haven.” The Icelandic-Portuguese coproduction will be broadcast on RTP in Portugal and Síminn in Iceland. About Premium Content handles international distribution for the series.
“Cold Haven” is an 8-part crime thriller probing the immigration experience, following Icelandic detective Soffia as she attempts to solve a murder within the Portuguese community on Iceland’s Westman Islands. The series explores the conflict of balancing career ambition and family ties, along with the profound sense of guilt that comes with it.
The series is predominantly set on the Icelandic archipelago Vestmannaeyjar, as well as its capital Reykjavík and the Portuguese city of Lisbon.
The Icelandic cast includes Kristín Þóra Haraldsdóttir (“Let Me Fall,” “The Valhalla Murders,” “Blackport,” “Stella Blomkvist,” “Katla”), Anna Svava Knútsdóttir (“Blackport,” “Life in a Fishbowl”), Elva Ósk Ólafsdóttir (“The School of Housewives,” “The Minister,” “The Valhalla Murders”) and Sveinn Ólafur Gunnarsson (“Summerlight… and Then Comes the Night,” “Fractures,” “Let Me Fall,” “Heartstone”).
The Portuguese cast includes Maria João Bastos (“Flor Sem Tempo” – gold medal at World Media Festival, “Motel Valkirias2 – silver medal at New York Festivals), Catarina Rebelo (“Amor Maior” – bronze medal at New York Festivals, “Mar Salgado” – bronze medal at New York Festivals, gold medal at World Media Festival), Ivo Canelas (“Glória” – Netflix), Rui Morisson (“Flor Sem Tempo” – gold medal at World Media Festival and “Motel Valkirias” – silver medal at New York Festivals) and Cleia Almeida (“Nazaré” – silver medal at World Media Festival).
Written by Filipa Poppe, Joana Andrade, and Sveinbjörn I. Baldvinsson, the series is directed by Arnór Pálmi Arnarsson and Tiago Alvarez Marques.
“Cold Haven” joins Glassriver’s growing slate of coproductions with international partners and affirms its commitment to bringing Icelandic stories to the global stage.
Andri Ómarsson, Executive Producer and CEO of Glassriver, said: “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. 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. This is matched by an incredibly talented cast and creative team from both countries and we’re confident ‘Cold Haven’ will captivate audiences around the world. Having Síminn and RTP as broadcasters has been fundamental for the project and we appreciate their involvement.”
Pedro Lopes, Executive Producer and Content Director at SPi, added: “This is a series that presents two very different countries, connected through the fishing industry. The characters who live and work on the Vestmann Islands represent the Portuguese diaspora, who, for various reasons, find themselves forced to leave their country. The narrative is tense, with many surprises, but at the same time, we get to know characters who captivate and move us. 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. 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."
Birkir Agustsson, VP of Media at Síminn, commented: “We are thrilled to be a part of ‘Cold Haven,’ a significant addition to Síminn’s growing slate of crime dramas and large-scale productions. This series perfectly aligns with our commitment to bringing high-quality, compelling stories to our viewers. 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.”
José Fragoso, RTP, concluded: “This is an 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’ (‘Refúgio do Medo’) 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."