Tobias Santelmann Leader Of Dystopian Fortress

Viaplay Original has announced eight-part dystopian drama The Fortress (Festning Norge), starring Tobias Santelmann (Kon-Tiki) as a Norwegian Prime Minister who has succeeded in convincing his country to isolate itself and its citizens from the rest of the world.

In the year 2037, an enormous wall surrounds Norway, where its people enjoy privileged and sheltered lives in a self-sufficient Nordic paradise. But when a deadly pandemic breaks out, the inhabitants soon realise that the wall intended to protect, is instead holding them prisoner.

Tobias Santelmann said: “I believe that in the situation the world is in today, The Fortress is uncomfortably topical. My character, Prime Minister Heyerdahl, is a man with a clear vision for Norway – a leader who believes in his ideas even when the country is in the midst of a huge crisis.”

Viaplay Chief Content Officer, Filippa Wallestam, added: “Our next Norwegian Viaplay Original might be set 15 years in the future, but is relevant to audiences everywhere today. History repeatedly shows us that what starts as a wall, ends as a prison. This unique and compelling production is the latest example of Viaplay’s commitment to Nordic storytelling that goes beyond borders – in this case, literally.”

The Fortress, directed by Cecilie Mosli (Mammon), is currently filming in Bergen and is slated to premiere on Viaplay across the Nordic region in 2023.