Norwegian True Crime ‘Escaping Bolivia’ Starring Jakob Oftebro and Ella Øverbye, Boarded by REinvent
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Loading... - Chantel Jonkers
- 18 Oct 2024
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Scandinavia’s leading sales outfit, REinvent, has acquired the rights to Norway’s true crime series “Escaping Bolivia,” which is currently filming in Cape Town, South Africa, following an initial shoot in Oslo. The series is produced by Fenomen, known for “Rod Knock,” in collaboration with the established production company 4 ½, recognized for “Out Stealing Horses.” The project is being developed for TV2 Norway and is co-produced with Germany’s public broadcaster NDR and the Oslo Film Fund.
The series is helmed by Anna Gutto, who directed Lionsgate’s “Paradise Highway” featuring Juliette Binoche. She is working alongside creator and episodic director Emilie Beck, who is also attached to Netflix’s “Royalteen.” The six-part series stars Jakob Oftebro, known for “Agent Hamilton,” alongside Ella Øverbye, who appeared in Dag Johan Haugerud’s “Dreams.” The cast also includes Josephine Tetlie, Lisa Hovden, and Danish actor Joachim Fjelstrup, recognized for “The Girl With the Needle.”
“Escaping Bolivia” draws inspiration from the notorious drug case involving three Norwegian girls aged 17, 18, and 21, who were imprisoned in Bolivia after being caught with 22 kilograms of cocaine in their bags in 2008. The narrative follows the story of Ida, her sister-in-law Michelle, and Ida’s lover Cecilie, who are arrested at the airport in Bolivia with suitcases filled with cocaine. Sentenced to serve time in one of the world’s most dangerous female prisons, Ida soon realizes that she cannot trust her friends or the Norwegian authorities to secure her release. This realization prompts her to devise a plan for escape.
Emilie Beck, who co-wrote the story with Helena Nielsen and Ingrid Haukelidsæter, expressed her excitement about the project, stating, “After eight years of development and research, it feels great that we’re finally filming! I’m sure that ‘Escaping Bolivia’ will touch, engage, and challenge the viewers. The series focuses on themes of friendship, betrayal, and love, as well as the unique and beautiful aspects of motherhood and the lengths one will go to for loved ones. At the same time, it explores the sacrifices made to save oneself and the process of growing up behind bars.”
Helene Aurø, REinvent’s sales and marketing director, shared her enthusiasm for the series, saying, “We are very proud to have picked up ‘Escaping Bolivia.’ It is an amazing story that needs to be told, and we are confident that the series will find an audience around the world.” The series is expected to be delivered in late 2025.
In addition to “Escaping Bolivia,” REinvent’s Mipcom slate features other premium titles, including the Finnish thriller drama “L/over,” the first live-action fiction show initiated by Marika Makaroff, the founder of “Moominvalley’s” producer Gutsy Animations. This completed series, starring Krista Kosonen and Jani Volanen, is set to premiere in Finland on MTV3/C More in 2025. The slate also includes two high-end Icelandic shows: “Reykjavik 112,” based on the works of best-selling novelist Yrsa Sigurdardóttir, which is described as a “Nordic bright and modern take on the crime thriller genre,” and the anticipated biopic “Vigdis,” created by the team behind “Blackport,” focusing on Iceland’s former president, the iconic Vigdís Finnbogadóttir.
