The eight-part Norwegian thriller series commissioned by Nent Group’s Viaplay is set to start filming later this year.
The dystopian TV show is co-created by prominent writers John Kåre Raake behind the blockbuster disaster films The Wave, The Quake, and recently published first novel The Ice, as well as Linn-Jeanethe Kyed, who wrote the Oscar nominated short film Tuba Atlantic, the documentary Magnus, and local hit car-chasing film franchise Børning.
Actor-turned director Cecilie Mosli (Mammon, Thin Ice) is co-directing with Mikkel Brænne Sandemose (Ragnarok, State of Happiness).
The Fortress is set in the near future, as Norway has chosen to sever all ties with the rest of the world. Surrounded by an enormous wall, the nation has become entirely self-sufficient. The fortunate inhabitants enjoy a life of well-being in safety. However, when there’s an outbreak of a fatal disease, they soon find themselves trapped behind the very wall that was built to protect them.
The series produced by Maipo Film’s Synnøve Hørsdal and Ales Ree just received NOK 5 million from the Norwegian Film Institute towards its NOK 95 million (€9.3m) budget and is in final stages of financing. Hørsdal said the cast will be announced around the summer.
In its latest round of support, the Norwegian Film Institute also allocated NOK 7 million to Tordenfilm for the youth series Dome 16 (backed by Nordisk Film & TV Fond) and NOK 2.1 million to the rapsical The World is Mine (Verden er min) created by Amy Black Ndiaye for Monday Scripted.
Meanwhile the documentary The Norwegian Headache (Den norske hodepinen) by Rune Denstad Langlo (Motlys) which will be pitched at the upcoming CPH:FORUM as work in progress, was granted NOK 1.35 million in production support.