Trom creator launches London-based development company to bridge Nordic, British drama
Faroe Islands-based mystery series Trom
Torfinnur Jákupsson, creator of the Faroe Islands-set mystery series Trom, has launched a London-based company to develop high-end scripted and unscripted thrillers.
Red Herring Story aims to “bridge the Nordic storytelling tradition of atmospheric investigative thrillers with the sharp, dynamic intensity of British drama,” said Jákupsson.
The company will be the UK affiliate of GRÓ Studios, the first Faroese film and television studio founded in 2022.
Red Herring Story will develop high-end scripted and unscripted thrillers, with a focus on international coproductions.
The company said it is developing a “slate of socially conscious crime narratives” that “explore political, environmental, and investigative themes set in distinctive global locations.”
Among its first projects is a corporate crime thriller set in London’s Canary Wharf, delving into greenwashing, global finance, and political influence, pitched as “Nordic Noir in the City.”
Red Herring Story said it is already in talks with international coproduction partners with further announcements expected later this year.
As part of its UK expansion, Red Herring Story is also introducing its Faroese equivalent Roykstovan, a reimagined writers’ room inspired by Faroese storytelling traditions.
Historically, the ‘roykstova’ was the communal heart of the home, where people gathered to spin yarn, both literally and metaphorically, telling stories for both entertainment and survival.
This spirit of collaborative, immersive and socially conscious storytelling is at the heart of Red Herring Story’s development process, Jákupsson said.
“For the past three years, we’ve been developing an exciting slate of high-end Nordic and international thrillers,” said Jákupsson, who created the Viaplay original Trom, the first crime drama from the Faroe Islands.
“Red Herring Story gives us a direct London base to foster closer collaborations with UK broadcasters, streamers, and coproduction partners to bring those projects to market, as well as to expand our UK slate.
“Red Herring Story aims to bridge the Nordic storytelling tradition of atmospheric investigative thrillers with the sharp, dynamic intensity of British drama. Our focus is on culturally relevant stories with a strong sense of place that also resonate beyond borders.”
