EXCLUSIVE: Steinþór Hróar Steinþórsson (Under the Tree, Out of Thin Air) and Saga Garðarsdóttir (The Love That Remains, Stella Blómkvist) have landed the lead roles in SÝN’s Icelandic-Romanian rom-com series Hot Stuff.
Steinþórsson will play Halli and Garðarsdóttir plays Karen in the series, which is set in 1979 and follows a group of Icelanders on holiday in Spain. We broke the news on the show, which is from Iceland’s Glassriver and Romania’s Idea Film, back in April. Further members of the ensemble cast will be announced in coming months.
Ragnar Bragason, who made the likes of The Shift TV trilogy and the widely-sold Prisoners, is the creator and co-writer of the series, with screenwriter and stand-up comedian Snjolaug Ludviksdottir his co-writer. SÝN was the commissioner and France’s Oble has international distribution rights.
Though a romcom, Hot Stuff will blend morality-driven drama with satire to play with the genre and provide a more thought-provoking watch. Per the producers, the show blends “humor, romance, and sharp social commentary” to tackle themes of gender inequality, consumerism, and xenophobia.
“Through playful ridicule and authentic storytelling, it explores the pitfalls of insular thinking, toxic masculinity, and performative activism and the ongoing struggle for identity, equality, and purpose across age groups and cultures,” they add.
“We are delighted to introduce audiences to our Hot Stuff leads Halli and Karen, brought to life by wonderful local Icelandic talents Steinþór Hróar Steinþórsson and Saga Garðarsdóttir,” said Andri Ómarsson, co-owner and producer at Glassriver. Hot Stuff is exactly the kind of bold, character-driven storytelling we champion at Glassriver, for audiences around the world. We look forward to sharing more Hot Stuff news soon.”
We recently reported Glassriver, which is behind the likes of As Long As We Live, Black Sands and Cold Haven, had launched a film division. The first title in development at the unit is Dark Ocean from Matthías Tryggvi Haraldsson.