Sindre Strand Offerdal and Gina Bernhoft Gørvell are playing King Harald V and Sonja Queen of Norway as a young couple in the four-part series that just started filming.

The biopic The Commoner-a Royal Dilemma (Harald og Sonja) written and directed by Vibeke Idsøe (The Lion Woman, Body troopers) focuses on the Norwegian royals’ love story, how they fought for nine years to be together, keeping secret their relationship due to Sonja’s status as a commoner, before finally receiving the permission to marry from King Olav in 1968.

“Harald and Sonja had to wait nine years for the society to accept the undeniable love they have and had for each other. While friends got married, had children and pursued their dreams, they had to wait for blessings from political, royal and social forces,” noted Idsøe.

The series will be a major screen breakthrough for Sindre Strand Offerdal and Gina Bernhoft Gørvell, known mostly as stage actors.

“King Harald is known for his fundamental humanity. It is easy to see his personality shine through the institution, with a twinkle in his eye and a genuine human curiosity. We are going through an extensive time journey that spans many years, and I want to depict a person, not make a copy,” said Strand Offerdal about his role.

Bernhoft Gørvell who admits being “nervous about portraying a person that everyone knows and has a relationship with”, stressed that she will approach the material “with reverence and respect” as both Queen Sonja and King Harald V are still ruling and doing well.

Prolific actor Anders Baasmo who played King Haakon VII in Paradox’s acclaimed feature The King’s Choice, will be King Olav in the Viaplay series, while the Int’l Emmy Award-winner Anneke von der Lippe (Eyewitness) stars as Sonja’s mother Dagny Haraldsen.

Paradox’s Finn Gjerdrum, Stein Kvae and Rebecca Mathisen are serving as executive producers, alongside Viaplay’s Isak Eymundsson.

The premiere on Viaplay is set for 2025.