SPi begins production on Netflix’s first Portuguese film Operation TAP

Operation TAP follows a 16-year-old who hijacks a flight

Filming has begun on Operation TAP, Netflix’s first film in Portugal, loosely inspired by the 1980 hijacking of a plane operated by Portuguese airline TAP.

Produced by SP Televisão-owned SPi, the film is directed by João Nuno Pinto (Mosquito, 18 Holes to Paradise) and stars Rui Pedro Silva, Afonso Pimentel and Victoria Guerra.

The story follows a 16-year-old who hijacks a flight bound for Madrid and demands 10 million dollars. What begins as a night of tension and uncertainty for the passengers and crew ultimately becomes a story about empathy and the human connections that develop between the hijacker and his hostages.

Founded in 2017 as the international arm of SP Televisão, SPi previously worked with Netflix on Glória, the streamer’s first Portuguese original series, which premiered in 2021.

SPi’s slate also includes international coproductions such as Codex 632, alongside Portuguese broadcaster RTP and Brazil’s Globoplay; Vanda, with Legendary Entertainment and Spain’s La Panda; and Cold Haven, produced with Iceland’s Glassriver and selected for Berlinale Series Market Selects 2026.

Operation TAP is written by Pedro Lopes, Miguel Rico and Marina Preguiça Ribeiro.

Lopes, whose credits include Glória and Codex 632, was appointed chief creative and strategy officer at SPi in late June, with a remit to “strengthen its position as an international player.”