11.5 billion launched into the air

Earlier this month, the fourth series of the television show True Detective, produced by the American television network HBO Max, premiered to rave reviews. The network is one of the subsidiaries of one of the largest entertainment conglomerates in the world, Warner Bros Discovery. This marked the culmination of relentless work here in the country, as the series, with Jodie Foster at the forefront, was largely produced here by the Icelandic production company True North. The creators of the project have praised Iceland and the Icelandic film industry extensively in American media.

This is the largest film and television project that has been initiated here in the country and represents pure foreign investment, with the total cost of the project amounting to approximately 11.5 billion kroner. On average, about 600 people were working on the project each day, but on the largest filming days, there were about 1,000 people on set. In total, approximately 1,200 people were paid for their involvement in the project, and the project conducted business with 2,000 companies and individuals during the filming period, which lasted for just over half a year, with shooting taking place in film studios in Reykjavik as well as on location in Akureyri, Keflavik, Vogar, Dalvik, by Stíflisdalsvatn, and in Bláfjöllum.

The majority of those who worked directly on the project were Icelanders in various jobs. This included cinematographers and technicians of all kinds, production managers, makeup artists, costume and set designers, background actors, and more.

It is a significant acknowledgment for Iceland as a filming location to attract projects of this scale, and it is a clear confirmation of the government's policy regarding creative industries, as the film policy introduced in 2020 has been systematically implemented with numerous measures. One such measure was initiated in 2022, which involved increasing the percentage of production cost rebates for film production taking place here in the country from 25% to 35% for projects that meet certain criteria regarding size, number of filming days, and number of staff. The results of those changes began to yield benefits immediately, as evidenced by the project mentioned above.

However, it is important to keep in mind that the foundation of the significant success in film production here in the country is all the outstanding local filmmaking talent that has paved the way over the decades. Without them, Iceland would be a less vibrant filming location today, and the reputation of Icelandic filmmakers is widely recognized for their exceptional professionalism, industriousness, green priorities, and solution-oriented mentality. I will continue to advocate passionately to promote the film industry here in the country in good cooperation with the sector. There is much to gain from increasing value creation in the creative industries even further, and I am certain that the future is bright in that regard. I wish all those involved in the True Detective project congratulations on the achievement and encourage you to continue your good work.

Lilja Dögg Alfreðsdóttir, Minister of Culture and Business Affairs and Vice-Chairperson of the Progressive Party.

The article was first published in Morgunblaðið on 27 January 2024.