Under the pact, the six English-language original international series will be developed and co-produced by the two partners, before premiering exclusively on Nent Group’s streamer Viaplay across the Nordics, Baltics, Netherlands and Poland.

Amazon-owned MGM will take charge of the rest of the world.

Currently being filmed in Prague and Abu Dhabi, the apocalyptic thriller Last Light is produced by Veronika Lencova for MGM International Television Productions, in association with Nent Group, Peacock, Entertainment 360, the streamer STAN in Australia and MBC in Middle East.

Based on a best-selling novel by Alex Scarrow, originated by Viaplay Studios, France’s Make it Happen and Scandinavia’s REinvent Studios, the limited series is written by Patrick Masset and John Zinman (The Blacklist, Friday Night Lights), who serve both as showrunners and executive producers. Other executive producers include Dennie Gordon -who directs the five-episode series, William Choi, actor Matthew Fox (Lost), as well as Sydney Gallonde, Rikke Ennis, Patrick Renault, Peter Settman and Isabelle Hultén.

The story centres on a family’s struggle to survive in a world suddenly thrown into chaos when oil supplies get contaminated by a toxic agent. In the title roles re Matthew Fox as oil expert and family man Andy Yeats, who uses all his power to save both his family and the world from total collapse, while Felix Sandman (Home for Christmas, Quicksand) plays environmental activist Ashly Wiles.

Co-stars include Joanne Froggatt (Downtown Abbey), Tom Wlaschiha (Game of Thrones), Victor Alli (Belfast) and Taylor Fay (Judge Rinder).

The second series Billy the Kid about the famous US outlaw, is written and executive produced by Michael Hirst (Vikings, The Tudors), with Otto Bathhurst (Peaky Blinders) directing the first 2 of 8 episodes. MGM’s subsidiary Epix Studios is producing with MGM Int’l TV Productions, in association with NENT Group. Both series will premiere on Viaplay in 2022.

At least 60 Viaplay Originals are set to launch next year, including two ambitious English-language films about major Nordic figures and events. The first mega-feature Hilma about iconic artist Hilma af Klint is directed by Lasse Hallström.