The Icelandic crime series is the first project coming out of the development and distribution multi-deal signed in October by Sagafilm and Sky Studios. 

Commissioned by NENT Group’s Nordic streamer Viaplay and Iceland’s leading OTT Síminn, Sisterhood will premiere on both platforms simultaneously, with Viaplay handling the second window in Iceland. NBCUniversal Global Distribution will handle international sales.

The series also received support from the Icelandic Film Centre, the 25% tax incentive programme from Iceland’s Ministry of Industry and Innovation, and the EU’s Creative Europe. 

The six part series is created/co-written by Sagafilm’s head of development and 2018 Nordisk Film & TV Fond Prize nominee Jóhann Ævar Grímsson (Stella Blomkvist, Thin Ice). Björg Magnúsdóttir (The Minister) is co-writer and Silja Hauksdóttir (Agnes Joy) will direct. 

Set in a small fjord town in Iceland, the series takes off with the discovery of the skeletal remains of a young girl, Hanna, who disappeared 20 years ago. The young police officer Vera is assigned to the case and delves deeper into it than anyone expects. Her peers consider Hanna’s case to be open and shut, especially as the girl’s mother was the prime suspect at the time and ended up spending much time in state institutions as a result. But, the discovery of the remains and the renewed investigation rattles a small group of women, now in their thirties, who one fateful night killed the young girl and have had to live with their guilty secret ever since.

Grímsson said: “By making its chief subject adult women who committed a heinous crime in the past, Sisterhood becomes a subversion of the well trodden crime genre. We eliminate the whodunit element and instead delve into guilt, shame and the complex web of emotions those two emotions weave. All while our protagonists are under the immense pressure that the truth of what they did is closing in on then.”

Síminn’s Executive VP of Programming, Pálmi Guðmundsson said the crime series is one of the rare scripted dramas that he agreed to back at pitch stage, due the strong story and characters.  Jason Simms, Director of International Scripted at Sky Studios, added: “Sisterhood is a richly layered story of guilt, secrets, justice and grief, told from the unique perspective of its female protagonists. We’re certain this gripping and intriguing drama will resonate with viewers around the world, and are excited to showcase it to buyers later this year."

Kjartan Thor Thordarson, executive producer, and Sagafilm Nordic CEO said Sisterhood “is part of his company’s ‘make local go global’ strategy." The senior Icelandic executive was at Göteborg’s TV Drama Vision to sneak peek Ólafur Darri Ólafsson’s vehicle The Minister, due to premiere on RÚV later this year. 

Sagafilm will then attend the Berlinale CoPro Series with Channel  2 Iceland’s Signals (9x45’) which won the Best Pitch at London’s Drama Summit in December. 

Meanwhile the Swedish suspense thriller Thin Ice, co-produced with Yellow Bird Sweden, will be launched on C More/TV4 on February 3.