Icelandic-Portuguese Crime Thriller Series ‘Cold Haven’ Wraps Shoot

Jesse Whittock
·3-min read

EXCLUSIVE: Cold Haven, the Icelandic-Portuguese crime thriller drama, has wrapped shooting and we have first-look images of the series here.

The eight-part show from Iceland’s Glassriver and Portugal’s SPI probes the immigration experience, following Icelandic detective Soffia as she attempts to solve a murder within the Portuguese community on Iceland’s Westman Islands.

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Cold Haven (aka Refúgio do Medo), which is for Icelandic streamer Síminn and RTP in Portugal, is predominantly set on the Icelandic archipelago Vestmannaeyjar, the country’s capital Reykjavík and the Portuguese city of Lisbon.

Kristín Þóra Haraldsdóttir (Let Me Fall, The Valhalla Murders), Anna Svava Knútsdóttir (Blackport, Life in a Fishbowl), Elva Ósk Ólafsdóttir (The School of Housewives, The Minister) and Sveinn Ólafur Gunnarsson (Summerlight… and Then Comes the Night, Fractures) are among the Icelandic cast, with 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) from the Portuguese side.

Filipa Poppe, Joana Andrade, Elías Helgi Kofoed-Hansen and Sveinbjörn I. Baldvinsson wrote the show, with Arnór Pálmi Arnarsson and Tiago Alvarez Marques directing. About Premium Content is on international distribution ahead of a 2025 launch on Síminn and RTP.

“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.”

Ómarsson added Síminn and RTP “as broadcasters have been fundamental for the project and we appreciate their involvement.”

Glassriver’s slate includes eight-episode drama As Long As We Live, medical drama Fractures and Black Sands, which was selected for a world premiere at Berlinale and has been commissioned for further seasons.

Birkir Agustsson, VP of Media at Síminn, said the series “perfectly aligns with our commitment to bringing high-quality, compelling stories to our viewers,” adding: “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.”

“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,” said Pedro Lopes, executive producer and Content Director at SPI. “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.”

SPI is known as Netflix’s first original production in Portugal, Glória. Also on its slate is Motel Valkirias, for RTP, TV Galicia and HBO in Portugal and Spain and the series Vanda, which is distributed by Legendary.

RTP’s José Fragoso added the co-production was “unprecedented and unique” co-production.

“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 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.”

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