Anna Friel Will Lead Anthology Series THE BOX

Adi Hasak, the creator of the hit NBC series SHADES OF BLUE and the award winning Eyewitness, is back with another straight-to-series show. Hasak is teaming up with Nordic Entertainment Group (NENT Group), the Nordic region's leading streaming company and the operator of Viaplay, on the character-driven, supernatural anthology series THE BOX, starring international Emmy-winning actress Anna Friel (Netflix's Marcella).

NENT Group, which is rapidly expanding into original international content, will premiere the show on Viaplay in the Nordic and Baltic regions, with several international distribution partners and broadcasters already circling. The English language series was green-lit off Hasak's series bible.

Hasak will serve as Showrunner on the series and has written or co-written all eight, 30-minute episodes. Production on THE BOX will begin in February 2021 in Stockholm, Sweden and will follow the country's COVID-19 protocols. The series is produced by Nice Drama, a NENT Studios company and the creator of the critically acclaimed series Midnight Sun and Thicker Than Water, as well as the Oscar-nominated film The 100 Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared.

Plot details on THE BOX will be revealed in due course, but Anna Friel will play the lead role of Sharon Pici, a Kansas City Police Detective who is locked in a room that she cannot escape. While the series begins as a character-driven psychological thriller, it quickly evolves into a supernatural nightmare.

THE BOX marks Anna Friel's first series since her award-winning title role in the Netflix hit series Marcella, where she won the International Emmy Award for Best Actress in 2017 for her performance.

Filippa Wallestam, NENT Group Chief Content Officer commented: "Over the next five years we will launch Viaplay in 15 additional markets, where a compelling combination of international and local original content will be a key part of our offering. Creating this intriguing, high-impact new series with world-class talents such as Anna Friel and Adi Hasak is yet another statement of storytelling intent from NENT Group."

Adi Hasak stated: "I'm simply thrilled at how our show came together. An American show, a top notch and dynamic Nordic streamer and studio in NENT, and a remarkably talented British actress in Anna Friel. This is truly the future of global TV."

Anna Friel added: "I am excited to be working with NENT Group on such a fascinating project. Looking forward to the cameras rolling and going on this journey with Adi."

Hasak is quickly becoming a leading creator of local and English-language series in Europe and is in advanced stages of opening a production company and office in London. Hasak is also Executive Producer and Showrunner on the upcoming international co-production Perfect People, a psychological thriller for NENT Group and German powerhouse Leonine. He is also working with NENT Group on Margeaux, an international drama about the Munich Olympic massacre, for which he has written or co-written all eight episodes. Both shows are going straight to series in 2021, once THE BOX has wrapped.

Co-writers with Hasak on THE BOX are Paula Killen, Josh Azouz and Clare Siobhan Byrne. Hasak is represented by attorneys Patti Felker and David Ryan. Anna Friel is repped by UTA and Untitled.

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