Viaplay commissions real-life drama "Roombeek" as next Dutch Original

Viaplay confirmed plans to commission the real-life drama "Roombeek" as its next Dutch Original. “We have very high ambitions for our Dutch Originals, and are committed to working with both established and upcoming local talents to tell unique stories that can attract a broad audience," Filippa Wallestam, Viaplay Group Chief Content Officer, said. "‘Roombeek’ will be a sensitive and high-quality production that looks beyond the headlines to show us some of the human lives affected by a tragic event.” 

Produced by EndemolShine Scripted, Gerd-Jan van Dalen and Viaplay Group’s Kennard Bos, a Banijay Benelux label, "Roombeek" serves as the latest addition to Viaplay’s fast-growing slate in the Netherlands, which features projects developed by some of the country’s biggest creative talents. Casting for the series is underway, and production will begin in early 2023. 

One of the biggest disasters in recent Dutch history, the Enschede fireworks warehouse explosion in May 2000, will become the subject of a four-part scripted Viaplay Original series. The compelling drama ‘Roombeek’ will relate the devasting human impact of the tragedy and its aftermath. A warehouse filled with fireworks caught fire and exploded in the Roombeek suburb of the city of Enschede – killing 23 people, including four firefighters, and injuring nearly 950. Roombeek itself was largely destroyed, with 200 homes ruined and 1,500 heavily damaged.

Viaplay’s scripted Dutch Original slate includes the true crime drama ‘The Hunt for Jasper S.’, produced by Willem Bosch and Pieter Kuijpers; the dark comedy ‘Something Stupid’, created by bestselling novelist Saskia Noort; and Liesbeth Strik’s drama "The Guilty." The service launched in the Netherlands in March with a unique combination of Viaplay Originals, Hollywood films and series, kids content and premium live sports. The streaming services STARZPLAY and hayu are also included in a Viaplay subscription.