Production Wraps on Glassriver & SPi’s Cold Haven

Iceland’s Glassriver and Portugal’s SPi have wrapped production on the eight-part crime thriller Cold Haven.

The series, predominantly set on the archipelago Vestmannaeyjar, centers on an Icelandic detective as she attempts to solve a murder within the Portuguese community on the Westman Islands.

The Icelandic cast includes Kristín Þóra Haraldsdóttir (Let Me Fall, The Valhalla Murders, Blackport, Stella Blomkvist, Katla), Anna Svava Knútsdóttir (Blackport, Life in a Fishbowl), Elva Ósk Ólafsdóttir (The School of Housewives, The Minister, The Valhalla Murders) and Sveinn Ólafur Gunnarsson (Summerlight… and Then Comes the Night, Fractures, Let Me Fall, Heartstone).

The Portuguese cast includes Maria João Bastos (Flor Sem Tempo, Motel Valkirias), Catarina Rebelo (Amor Maior, Mar Salgado), Ivo Canelas (Glória), Rui Morisson (Flor Sem Tempo, Motel Valkirias) and Cleia Almeida (Nazaré).

Cold Haven is written by Filipa Poppe, Joana Andrade, Sveinbjörn I. Baldvinsson and Elías Helgi Kofoed-Hansen. It is directed by Arnór Pálmi Arnarsson and Tiago Alvarez Marques.

The co-production will broadcast on RTP in Portugal and Síminn in Iceland. About Premium Content is handling international distribution.

“As we ramp up our slate of international co-productions, we could not ask for better partners on Cold Haven than SPi and About Premium Content,” said Andri Ómarsson, executive producer and CEO of Glassriver. “It is a series that merges the stunning landscapes of Vestmannaeyjar with the vibrant culture of Lisbon. This crime thriller is a testament to the power of international collaboration. This is matched by an incredibly talented cast and creative team from both countries, and we’re confident Cold Haven will captivate audiences around the world. Having Síminn and RTP as broadcasters has been fundamental for the project and we appreciate their involvement.”

Pedro Lopes, executive producer and content director at SPi, commented, “This is a series that presents two very different countries, connected through the fishing industry. The characters who live and work on the Vestmann Islands represent the Portuguese diaspora, who, for various reasons, find themselves forced to leave their country. The narrative is tense, with many surprises, but at the same time, we get to know characters who captivate and move us. We believe that what drew us to this story is also what sparked the interest of RTP in Portugal and Síminn in Iceland, as well as the French-origin international distributor About Premium Content. The work process has been challenging, but it is a great pleasure to have as partners an experienced and creative production company like Glassriver, with whom we have built a relationship of trust, mutual respect, and deep friendship.”

Birkir Agustsson, VP of media at Síminn, added, “We are thrilled to be a part of Cold Haven, a significant addition to Síminn’s growing slate of crime dramas and large-scale productions. This series perfectly aligns with our commitment to bringing high-quality, compelling stories to our viewers. Partnering with Glassriver and SPi on this international co-production allows us to deliver a visually striking and emotionally engaging crime thriller that will resonate with audiences both in Iceland and abroad.”

“This is an unprecedented and unique co-production,” said José Fragoso at RTP. “In recent years, RTP has been involved in the production of international fiction projects, in collaboration with partners in Spain, Brazil or France, but the series Cold Haven (Refúgio do Medo) opens a new path of collaboration, this time with a geographically distant region from our country, but one that is highly relevant in the production of quality fiction. The Nordic countries are a global reference in the audiovisual sector, and this co-production with RTP will be a unique opportunity for Portuguese teams–writers, actors, directors and producers–to share knowledge and experiences with Icelandic professionals. The result will undoubtedly be an exciting thriller, filmed in two countries with radically different, yet equally inspiring, atmospheres.”