Ólafur Darri, Hera Hilmar Set Icelandic Thriller ‘Reykjavik Fusion’

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” and Apple TV+ show “See.” Her credits take in “Da Vinci’s Demons,” “An Ordinary Man” and “Anna Karenina.” 

“Reykjavik Fusion” is the first project to go into production from new Icelandic production powerhouse ACT4, launched in late 2022. It is also co-produced by Arte in France and Germany. The show is a Simmin Premium Original in Iceland.

News of Darri and Hilmar’s casting comes as the crime thriller has scored international pre-sales with AMC Iberia for Spain and Portugal and with public broadcaster YLE for Finland.

The series has also been bought by ERR Estonia, among others. 

“Reykjavik Fusion” is created and written by leading Icelandic TV series producer Hörður Rúnarsson (“As Long As We Live,” “Black Sands,” “Fractures,” “Ordinary People”), ACT4 executive producer and creator, and co-created and written by award-winning Icelandic writer Birkir Blær Ingólfsson (“The Minister,” “Thin Ice”), ACT4 head of development.

Described as “Breaking Bad” meets “The Bear,” “Reykjavik Fusion” has Darri playing gifted chef Jónas, falsely imprisoned, who tries to regain his family’s trust. Shunned by society, he accepts illicit funds to open a restaurant, plunging him into money laundering and debt, jeopardizing his parole, life, and loved ones. 

Hilmar plays Jónas’ closest partner, who plans to use Jónas’ naivety to build her own escape from their overlord. Together, they sink deeper into the world of crime, where a single wrong step can be fatal.

“Hera plays the right-hand woman of the crook who loans the money and is still in prison at the series get-go,” said Rúnarsson. “She’s a small, petite woman who manipulates left and right, very clever, street smart who’s been in the game for a long time, calm and collective at times, but ruthless.”

Directed by Icelandic duo Sammi og Gunni – Samúel Bjarki Pétursson and Gunnar Páll Ólafsson – “Reykjavik Fusion” will go into production later this August. 

Lára Jóhanna Jónsdóttir (“Black Sands,” “Sense8,” “Trapped”), Guðjón Davíð Karlsson (“Blackport,” “Trapped,” “Let Me Fall”) and Atli Óskar Fjalarsson (“Operation Napoleon,” “Sparrows”) make up further cast, as do Leó Gunnarsson (“Driving Mum,” “Solitude,” “Noi the Albino,” “Fractures”) and Unnur Birna Backman. 

Variety talked about “Reykjavik Fusion” – its financing model, tone, restaurant aesthetics and ACT4’s ambitions – to the former head of Netflix’s International Originals Barmack, who executive produces, Rúnarsson, and Jónas Margeir Ingólfsson, ACT4 CEO and executive producer who served as the creator-writer of “The Minister,” “Thin Ice” and “Stella Blómkvist 2.”

“Reykjavik Fusion” is racking up notable pre-sales. You’re going into production, however, without securing the U.S…. 

Erik Barmack: The show is rather like the band is getting together. Scandinavian shows used to be put together with four or five broadcasters. Then streamers and Viaplay came in. “Reykjavik Fusion” is a cool Icelandic series with leads who have been part of internationally successful titles and partners in France-Germany, Spain-Portugal, Finland and Eastern Europe. It’s turning out that in international TV you can have a decent business model without even considering the U.S. at this point. We feel like we’ve created a global opportunity for our partners without requiring U.S. investment to start, which is a great achievement. 

“Reykjavik Fusion” is described as “Breaking Bad” meets “The Bear.” But will it be as unexpectedly violent as “Breaking Bad”?

Hörður Rúnarsson: No. “Reykjavik Fusion” is a very fast-paced thriller that mixes darker nights, you could say, and a vivid expression of the intensity of running a restaurant. Getting money from a real crook is supposed to be a simple in-and-out. But it’s not that simple, and Jónas goes deeper and darker in the world of crime where people will die, but he’s trying to be nice and get back with his family and still running the restaurant, which is going really well…

Jónas Margeir Ingólfsson: The restaurant is aesthetically pleasing and interesting. Þráinn Freyr Vigfússon, one of Iceland’s most prominent chefs who runs some of Reykjavík’s most acclaimed restaurants such as Sumac and the Michelin star-rated ÓX, is designing the menu and doing the cooking on set. He’s even gone as far as to take the people who will be working in the kitchen in the series, including Ólafur Darri, and having them train at his restaurant in Reykjavik.

How does Reykjavik Fusion” fit into your vision of ACT4?

Rúnarsson: We’re setting out with a pretty simple but clear and effective strategy: To take time and develop properly and go bigger, better, bolder. I think we’re hitting all those marks. I don’t think you’ve ever seen this pace in a Nordic series, or at least not in Iceland and probably not in the Nordics. We are going really deep and thorough into the kitchen and the restaurant, and we are also going really bold outside. And we’re doing production things that haven’t been done in Icelandic series. We’re importing equipment for car chase scenes, for example.

Margeir Ingólfsson: It’s not stated anywhere, but we’re trying to do not only bigger and better but also fewer [series]. And we’re only taking on the projects that we love. Co-production and pre-sales we’ve been doing all the while in Iceland because the domestic market in Iceland is small. So we have always had to go out and find co-producers and pre-sales abroad. This is being called something like the Age of Co-production, but this has been our reality all along. So we’re in good shape to be on the market right now. 

As not only a producer but an international distributor, Erik, will you be looking to use the same financial model of “Reykjavik Fusion” on other shows?

Barmack: Wild Sheep will do more and more sales with local broadcasters in Europe. There are just more interesting business models to be done in Europe with local broadcasters.  We’ve already shot [“Erica”], a show in France with TF1. The networks are slightly more open to taking risks. They’ve seen what happens if they let streamers just take over their markets. It’s an interesting ecosystem in Europe right now. We are seeing the power of global IP with “Yakuza,” based on the Sega game, coming out on Amazon globally in October, and “Erica” [based on the Fjallbacka crime novel series by Camilla Lackberg] being distributed by TF1 in France.  We have many exciting projects upcoming with equally big IP or players that we believe will be ideal for co-productions in Europe.