Anders Breivik Drama 22 July to Go Global with DRG

DRG has acquired the rights to 22 July, which explores how ordinary people responded to the atrocities committed by Anders Breivik in 2011.

On Friday, July 22, 2011, a 2,000-pound homemade fertilizer bomb planted in a car exploded in Oslo’s executive government quarter, killing eight and wounding dozens more. As emergency services raced to the scene, 32-year-old Breivik was making his way to a small island hosting youth members of the Norwegian Labour Party where he opened fire and killed 69 young adults.

Produced by NRK Drama, 22 July stars Alexandra Gjerpen (Young and Promising, Norsemen), Øyvind Brandtzæg (Lauget), Helga Guren (Framing Mom, An Affair), Marius Lien (The 12th Man, Kings Bay) and Ane Skumsvoll (Aber Bergen, Blue Sky Blue).

Ivar Køhn, head of drama at NRK and executive producer of the series, said: “22 July was one of Norway’s darkest days; it had a massive impact on our country and the events shocked the world. But during this terrible time, we witnessed acts both large and small that help define us as individuals and as a nation. This is a story about those acts and about the systems that surround us and shape our daily lives. Systems we both act because of, or in spite of. It’s not a story about a terrorist and his inhumane acts. It’s a story about the rest of us.“

Dave Clarke, DRG’s executive VP of content, added: “While 22 July is a uniquely Norwegian story, its worldwide impact and universal themes—all sympathetically realized and beautifully filmed by a talented team—will undoubtedly resonate on the international stage.“

He continued: “Ivar and his team have an excellent reputation for producing top-quality, internationally appealing drama, with titles such as Eyewitness traveling the globe, both as a finished series and format. DRG has invested a multimillion-pound sum in Scandinavian scripted content in the past two years alone, and this commitment will continue in order to capitalize on demand and secure the very best and most original titles from the region, such as 22 July.”