Industry

Set against the dark, atmospheric landscape of Reykjavik, BRKN follows Dóra and Rado, two investigators compelled to join forces after the disappearance of a nonbinary teenager named Morgan. What starts as a routine case of a missing minor rapidly escalates into a tense, high-stakes investigation. Dóra has only recently returned to duty after surviving a traumatic incident in which she was shot in the head while attempting to stop her boyfriend’s suicide. Meanwhile, Rado is torn between his duties as a police officer and his loyalty to his own family, several members of which become key suspects. As the duo races against time to locate Morgan, a tangled network of organised crime, corporate interests, and police corruption gradually comes to light.

BRKN is created by playwright, screenwriter, and author Jón Atli Jónasson (The Deep, Arctic Circle); director Thorleifur Örn Arnarsson (King Lear, Hamlet, The Ring of the Nibelungen, The Case); and screenwriter, novelist, and composer Margrét Örnólfsdóttir (The Valhalla Murders, Trapped, Fanger, The Flatey Enigma).
Jón Atli Jónasson is the author of the crime novel Brotin and co-writer of the Academy Award-shortlisted feature The Deep (2013). His works have been staged at leading venues, including the National Theatre of Iceland. His television credits include the German-Finnish crime drama Arctic Circle, and his radio play on the Guðmundur and Geirfinnur case earned third prize at Prix Europa. Brotin has been sold in multiple international territories.

Thorleifur Örn Arnarsson has directed acclaimed theatrical and operatic productions throughout Iceland, Germany, and Europe, and previously served as artistic director of Berlin’s Volksbühne. His credits include landmark stagings of King Lear, Hamlet, and The Ring of the Nibelungen. He received the FAUST PRIZE for Director of the Year in 2018, and his production of Njála won a record ten “MASKS” at the Icelandic Theatre Awards. He also co-wrote the Netflix series The Case, which earned a nomination for Writer of the Year at the Icelandic TV and Film Awards.

Margrét Örnólfsdóttir has been at the forefront of Icelandic TV drama for the past two decades. Her work includes TV series The Valhalla Murders, Trapped (season 2), Fangar (aka Prisoners) and The Flatey Enigma. Her upcoming work includes the Finnish-Icelandic series Hildur, based on Satu Rämö’s phenomenal international bestseller. Margrét has been nominated twice for the Nordic Film & TV Fund Prize, and three times for Prix Europa (TV drama category), as well as multiple wins and nominations for the Icelandic Film Awards, Eddan.

Expanding Glassriver’s slate of high-end scripted series for the global market, BRKN is a fresh take on the Nordic crime genre, blending classic police procedural drama with psychological suspense. The series joins Glassriver’s Avalanche, a co-production with Whatevergroup, the recently optioned Konráð book series from author Arnaldur Indriðason which is being adapted for the screen and the comedy drama Hot Stuff, a coproduction with Romania’s IDEA Film currently in production.
Andri Ómarsson, co-owner and producer at Glassriver says: “BRKN pushes the boundaries of the Nordic crime genre and represents the distinctive and original storytelling that we champion at Glassriver. We are delighted to be partnering with True Colours, as we continue to share bold and unique stories from Iceland, with the world.”

Elliot Gustin at True Colours says “One year after launching our series distribution business, we are delighted to be partnering with Glassriver. This demonstrates our ability as an independent distributor to support bold, high-quality projects. BRKN is a series with tremendous potential, and we firmly believe it will have international acclaim and success.”