WRITTEN BY: Annika Pham
Six part Danish series will be the first production from Bernth’s new outfit Apple Tree Productions.
Six part Danish series will be the first production from Bernth’s new outfit Apple Tree Productions.
The character-driven series Equinox written by Tea Lindeburg, is based on the podcast Equinox 1985, which topped the Danish iTunes podcast chart with its modern take on audio.
The series is set between two time periods: 1999 and present time. The central character Anna is only 10 years old in 1999 when a class of graduating students inexplicably disappears without a trace. Anna, who was close to one of the missing students becomes traumatised and plagued by horrific visions after the disappearance.
In 2020 Anna is peacefully living with her family when suddenly the nightmares return and start haunting her. When the one survivor from 1999 mysteriously dies, Anna is determined to find out what happened to the class, only to discover a dark and unsettling truth that involves her in ways she never imagined.
The series is produced by Dorte Riis Lauridsen, and executive producer by Apple Tree Production’s CEO Piv Bernth. The former head of drama at DR said: “We are very excited about the podcast Equinox being made as a TV series. It is a very unique story about the difference between reality and imagination, and the relation between free will and fate – all set in a normal Danish family. The creative team behind it are all extremely talented and it is a great pleasure to work with them. We look forward to introducing this series to the world audience together with Netflix.”
Tesha Crawford, Director Netflix International Originals Northern Europe said: “We are very excited about this new series which brings together a locally successful story and a highly acclaimed Danish producer. It’s also been very inspiring to work with a narrative that actually comes from a non-traditional format like a podcast. We are confident that all of this combined will result in a series that is as compelling as the original story.”
Backed by ITV Studios, Apple Tree Productions is headed by Bernth and Lars Hermann, behind international successes includingThe Killing, The Legacy, Follow the Money, The Bridge, Liberty and Ride upon the Storm. The company’s strategy is to tap into the best Nordic storytelling talents to bring quality, edgy stories that matter to world screens.
Equinox will go into production later this year. No date has been set for the premiere on Netflix.
The US streaming giant’s Danish originals include Miso Film’s successful youth drama The Rain (season 3 is set to premiere in 2020) and SAM Productions’ upcoming crime drama The Chestnut Man, based on writer/showrunner/producer Søren Sveistrup’s eponymous debut crime novel.