DQ100 2025/26 – Part one

DQ100 2025/26 – Part one


By DQ
March 26, 2025

DQ100

In the first part of the DQ100 2025/26, we pick out a range of shows to tune in for and the actors, directors and writers making them, as well as some of the trends and trailblazers worth catching up with.

ACTORS

Ebba Katrín Finnsdóttir
The Icelandic actor starred in 2024 drama Húsó (The School for Housewives, pictured), which was nominated for the Nordic Series Script Award 2025. She played Hekla, a young mother who has been in and out of rehab since she was a teenager and must now enrol in the School for Housewives if she hopes to be reunited with her daughter. Finnsdóttir is now playing the title role in Hildur, a ‘Nordic blue’ crime series based on the books by Sato Rämö about a surfing female detective who must confront a serial killer in the fjords of Iceland while unravelling the mystery of her long-lost sisters. The six-part series is coproduced by Take Two Studios and Sagafilm for Finish streamer Ruutu and Icelandic platform Siminn, with Cineflix Rights handling international distribution. Earlier this year, Finnsdóttir also appeared in Vigdis, a biopic of Iceland’s first woman president.

Fabrizio Gifuni
Gifuni takes the lead in Portobello, the first Max original series from Italy. Due to air in 2026, the six-parter tells the story of Enzo Tortora, the famous host of the real-life television show Portobello – which aired in 1977 for seven seasons – who was accused of being part of a criminal organisation involved in drug trafficking. Tortora was imprisoned and tried for years before being definitively acquitted of all charges. The drama is produced by Our Films and Kavac Film, in coproduction with Arte France and in collaboration with The Apartment Pictures. Gifuni recently appeared in TV drama My Brilliant Friend and films Human Capital, The Best of Youth and Hannibal.

Pascale Kaan
Newcomer Kaan stars in The Dream Lands, a forthcoming BBC series also starring Anna Friel, Connor Swindells, Clara Rugaard, Katherine Parkinson and Golda Rosheuvel. In the show, based on Rosa Rankin-Gee’s novel of the same name and adapted by Kayleigh Llewellyn (In My Skin), she plays Chance, a fiercely loyal, intelligent and hyper-vigilant 17-year-old who’s been forced to become her family’s protector from an early age in a near-future world that never lets up. It’s 2039 and temperatures are soaring, seas are rising and the political climate is equally as menacing.
Chance is living a life of crime just to get by, when her community is singled out for a government rejuvenation scheme, promising to bring her coastal town back to life. But when Chance falls in love with Franky, a girl with ties to the establishment, she and those closest to her begin to realise that all may not be as it seems. Sister and Universal International Studios are producing, with NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution handling worldwide sales.

Matthew Lewis
Harry Potter star Lewis – best known for playing Neville Longbottom in the films based on JK Rowling’s wizard novels – will take the lead in Acorn TV and Channel 5’s six-part murder-mystery drama Murder Before Evensong, adapted from the debut novel by the Reverend Richard Coles. Lewis will play Canon Daniel Clement, who shares Champton rectory with his widowed mother and his two dachshunds. When plans for a church lavatory divide the parish, long-buried secrets come close to destroying the apparent calm of the village – until a dead body is discovered, leaving Daniel as the only person who might be able to keep his fractured community together and catch a killer. The Lighthouse is producing, with AMC Networks handling global sales.

Andrew Lincoln
The Walking Dead star Lincoln makes his long-awaited return to British television in Cold Water, a six-part thriller produced by Sister (Chernobyl) for ITV and STV. He plays John, a repressed, depressed man who is shocked to find himself in middle age, secretly raging at his life as a stay-at-home dad. When his failure to intervene in a violent confrontation in a playground brings his identity crisis to a head, John ups and moves his family to the (fictional) rural idyll of Coldwater, where he befriends his next-door neighbour, who is harbouring secrets of his own. Due to air this autumn, the show is being distributed by ITV Studios.

DIRECTORS

Justin Kurzel
Kurzel (The Order, Nitram) directs The Narrow Road to the Deep North, a five-part Australian drama series that had its world premiere at February’s Berlin International Film Festival. Based on the book by Richard Flanagan and set against the shadows of the Second World War, it tells the story of Lieutenant-Colonel Dorrigo Evans (Euphoria’s Jacob Elordi, pictured alongside Kurzel) and how his all-too-brief love affair with Amy Mulvaney (Odessa Young) shaped his life. The series premieres on Prime Video in Australia, New Zealand and Canada on April 18, with Sony Pictures Television also shopping the show to the BBC (UK), Sky (Germany, Austria and German-speaking Switzerland), RTÉ (Ireland), Movistar Plus+ (Spain) and more. Curio Pictures is the producer.

Janus Metz
The Danish filmmaker has credits on series such as ZeroZeroZero and season two of True Detective, as well as films Armadillo and Borg McEnroe. He is now helming all six episodes of crime drama The Uniform for Miso Film and broadcaster DR. Starring Lena Maria Christensen and Jakob Cedergren, it is set at the Police Academy in Copenhagen and follows the trainees and their instructors on their remarkable journey from civilian to officer, from classroom to the police station, where friendships, enmities and love along the way must stand the ultimate test when theory meets practice. The series is expected to premiere on DR in early 2026 and has already been sold to SVT in Sweden, NRK in Norway, YLE in Finland and RUV in Iceland. Fremantle is handling global sales.

Lisa Mulcahy
After directing The Tourist, Irish filmmaker Mulcahy is reuniting with Two Brothers Pictures for Prime Video thriller The Assassin. Set against the backdrop of a remote Greek island, it stars Keeley Hawes and Freddie Highmore as retired assassin Julie and her estranged son Edward, who are forced to work together in a fight for survival. Amid questions around Edward’s paternity and Julie’s dangerous past catching up with her, the pair are forced to flee the island and go on the run together. It is produced in association with Germany’s ZDF, Stan in Australia and distributor All3Media International. Mulcahy’s credits also include Blood, Years & Years, Ridley Road and Sanctuary.

Michele Soavi
Soavi is behind Rai Fiction and Endemol Shine Italy’s adaptation of Mario Tobino’s influential novel Le Libere Donne di Magliano – Mondadori Libri. The three-parter, known as Le Libere Donne, is set in Tuscany during the Second World War and follows psychiatrist Mario Tobino (Lino Guanciale, pictured to Soavi’s left) as he challenges the repressive confines of a women’s psychiatric hospital. But Mario’s world shifts with the arrival of Margherita Lenzi (Grace Kicaj), a young heiress confined to the hospital by her husband. As he questions whether she is truly unwell or a victim of cruelty, Mario embarks on a search for the truth, torn between his growing feelings and another rekindled love for someone from his past.
Italian Soavi recently helmed series such as Blanca, Màkari and La Guerra è finite, but is also an established horror director thanks to titles including the classic Rupert Everett zombie feature Dellamorte dellamore (Cemetery Man) and a partnership with iconic horror filmmaker Dario Argento (Terror at the Opera).

Nikki Toscano
Toscano makes her directorial debut on Long Bright River, the series she showruns and co-writes with Liz Moore for US streamer Peacock. Based on the novel by Moore, the eight-part series stars Amanda Seyfried as Mickey, a police officer who patrols a Philadelphia neighbourhood hit hard by the opioid crisis. When a series of murders are committed in the neighbourhood, Mickey realises her personal history might be related to the case. Hagar Ben-Asher is lead director on the series, which is produced by Sony Pictures Television and UCP. Toscano is best known as the writer behind Godfather series The Offer.

WRITERS

Aimee-Lou Wood
Best known for her roles in Netflix’s Sex Education, Daddy Issues and the latest season of The White Lotus, Wood will next be on screen in BBC romantic comedy Film Club, a series she has co-created and co-written with fellow actor Ralph Davis. Made by Gaumont and airing later this year on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer, the show stars Wood as Evie, for whom Film Club is her weekly escape – a chance to create a world of wonder, deck her mum’s garage out in whatever the movie calls for, and spend a few uninterrupted hours with her best friend Noa (Nabhaan Rizwan). When Noa lands a dream job across the other side of the country, they’re forced to consider for the first time that they might be more than just friends. Fremantle is the international distributor of the Manchester-shot show.

Imran Mahmood
Novelist and first-time screenwriter Mahmood has penned Saviour, a series described as a refreshing reimagining of the crime and courtroom genre. The story introduces medical student Ben, who is facing charges of murder, and criminal barrister Indy, who will have to navigate a world of police corruptiuon, fervent press interest and a secretive defendant to find the truth, while also concealing secrets of her own. Pitched as an authentic drama set within the criminal justice system, it is produced by Parti Productions for ITV and STV. Filming is due to take place in 2025.

Meredith MacNeill and Jennifer Whalen
Actors most recognisable for starring in Canada’s Baroness von Sketch Show, MacNeill and Whalen have partnered to co-create and star in “menopause comedy” Small Achievable Goals. The eight-part series follows odd couple Julie (Whalen) and Kris (MacNeill) as they are thrust together to produce a podcast while grappling with “the change.” The duo then embark on a journey of transformation, helping each other through workplace challenges and office politics, dating and relationship drama, and some serious health concerns. Filmed in Toronto and Hamilton, the series is produced by Sphere Media for Canada’s CBC, where it premiered in February 2025.

Tina Gharavi
The BAFTA- and Sundance-nominated director of I Am Nasrine and African Queens: Cleopatra – and the founder of Bridge + Tunnel Productions – is adding the title of showrunner to her CV through new Scandi noir drama The Fox. The show is based on Sólveig Pálsdóttir’s Icelandic novel Refurinn, which features detective Guðgeir Fransson. Gharavi bought the rights to the book and has developed a script for a six-part series that also introduces a new British character.
After a Sri Lankan woman arrives in a small Icelandic outpost, she suddenly disappears, arousing the suspicions of Guðgeir, a suspended detective from Reykjavik trying to win back his family, reputation and job. Also washed up in town is Greer, a disagreeable, retired British chief superintendent who is (unsuccessfully) pursuing obscurity. Guðgeir enlists Greer’s help to find the missing woman and figure out how she could vanish without a trace. Icelandic producer Polarama (Thin Ice) is also on board the project.

Urður Egilsdóttir
Iceland-based journalist and screenwriter Egilsdóttir was present in the courtroom covering what has come to be known as ‘The Terrorism Case’ – Iceland’s first ever terrorist attack – and has now written Manifesto, a series based on this true story with themes of extremism, racism, misogyny and mental health. The six-episode series centres on Harpa, an aspiring police officer who must prove her friends’ innocence after an attack is carried out by Matti, a member of her friend group. The stakes get even higher as his manifesto warns of a second, even deadlier, attack on the horizon. Glassriver is producing the series for streamer Síminn, with Wild Bunch TV handling global rights. Egilsdóttir also took part in a writers room at Glassriver for the Nordic crime series Masquerade (fka The Trip), which is currently in development, and co-wrote two episodes of the show.

SERIES

Ciudad de Sombras (City of Shadows)
A thriller based on the novel by Milo Malart, this Spanish Netflix series opens following a gruesome crime in Barcelona’s La Pedrera (Casa Milá) – a burning body appears on the façade of Gaudi’s iconic building. Inspector Milo Malart (Isak Férriz) returns from suspension to join deputy inspector Rebeca Garrido (Verónica Echegui) in finding the perpetrator of this crime. Isak Férriz, Verónica Echegui, Ana Wagener, Manolo Solo and Jordi Rico complete the cast, with Arcadia producing the drama. It is directed by Jorge Torregrossa (Burning Body, Fariña, Intimacy), who has written the six-part series with Carlos López and Clara Esparrach.

Danefæ (The Excavation)
This Danish series brings together a historical crime with a modern marriage as two archaeological experts find a 1,000-year-old murder mystery threatens to change not only the entire history of Denmark, but their relationship too. Lene Maria Christensen and Anders W Berthelsen star as Ester and Michael in a story that sees Ester strive to come out from under her husband’s shadow and fight for what she believes in after her groundbreaking discovery. Commissioned by TV2 and produced by Uma Film, the show’s lead writer is Lars K Andersen and the director is Dagur Kári. Distributed by TV2 Sales & Coproductions, the series is expected to air on TV2 and TV2 Play in 2025/26.

Lume
A timely and topical series in the wake of the devastating LA wildfires, Lume is an eco-thriller set against a similar crisis on the northern Portugal-Spain border, which is having a devastating impact on the countryside. When a huge forest fire begins to blaze in the hamlet of Seara, journalist Lucía has her reasons for wanting to get to the bottom of what happened. She was born and raised in the village, and her father was accused of starting the deadly fire and then committing suicide in jail. As the series unfolds, she starts to uncover the powerful economic interests behind the forest fire.
The six-part drama is produced by Lisbon’s Coral Europa and Setemedia in Santiago de Compostela, and will stream on Max in Spain and Portugal as well as airing on pubcasters RTP and Televisión de Galicia. ZDF Studios is handling international rights. It is created by Irene Pin and co-written by Pin and Sara Rodi. The multi-national cast includes Lúcia Moniz, Albano Jerónimo, Ricardo Pereira, Cristina Castaño, Xúlio Abonjo and Alfonso Agra. Portugal’s Sérgio Graciano and Spain’s Giselle Llanio direct.

Reunion
Matthew Gurney, Lara Peake, Anne-Marie Duff, Eddie Marsan and Rose Ayling-Ellis star in this four-part bilingual BBC thriller that was filmed in both British Sign Language and spoken English. Written by Sheffield-born deaf writer William Mager, the series is described as an emotional thriller of revenge and redemption that centres on Daniel Brennan (Gurney), a deaf man determined to right his wrongs while unravelling the truth behind the events that led him to prison. Brennan embodies the struggle of a man caught between two worlds, unable to fully integrate into the hearing world and shunned by his closest friends and the wider deaf community following his heinous crime. Amid this isolation, Brennan’s only meaningful relationship is with his estranged daughter Carly (Lara Peake), with whom he has not had any contact since his arrest over a decade ago. Produced by Warp Films and distributed by BBC Studios, it is directed by Luke Snellin (One Day).

Riot Women
Happy Valley creator Sally Wainwright’s latest series brings together five women (played by Joanna Scanlan, Rosalie Craig, Tamsin Grieg, Lorraine Ashbourne and Amelia Bullmore) who create a makeshift punk-rock band in order to enter a local talent contest. But in writing their first original song, they soon discover that they have a lot to say – and this is their way to say it. As they juggle demanding jobs, grown-up children, complicated parents, absent husbands and disastrous dates and relationships, the band becomes a catalyst for change in their lives, and it’s going to make them question everything. Wainwright is the writer and lead director on the series (also pictured top), which is produced by Drama Republic for the BBC in the UK and BritBox US and Canada. Mediawan Rights distributes.

TRENDS & TRAILBLAZERS

Adolescence
From the director of one-shot feature film Boiling Point comes this four-part Netflix series that is pitched as the first TV drama whose every episode is filmed in one continuous take. It tells the story of how a family’s world is turned upside down when 13-year-old Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper) is arrested for the murder of a teenage girl who goes to his school. Boiling Point alum Stephen Graham plays Jamie’s father and ‘appropriate adult’ Eddie Miller. Ashley Walters stars as Detective Inspector Luke Bascombe, and Erin Doherty is Briony Ariston, the clinical psychologist assigned to Jamie’s case. Philip Barantini directs from a script by Graham and Jack Thorne (Help). It is produced by Warp Films, Matriarch Productions and Plan B.

Mozart
While Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart continues to be a source of fascination for factual producers and documentary filmmakers more than 200 years after his death, a pair of drama series are now exploring his life – and that of his family. Joe Barton (Giri/Haji, Black Doves) is writing Sky limited series Amadeus, which sees Will Sharpe (The White Lotus) take on the role of the musical virtuoso in a biopic that begins following his arrival in Vienna, based on Peter Shaffer’s play. Two Cities Television and Sky Studios are producing, with Julian Farino and Alice Seabright directing. NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution is handling international sales.
Meanwhile, six-parter Mozart/Mozart (pictured) will focus on the life of Maria Anna Mozart, the older sister of Wolfgang who has long lived in his shadow. After financial ruin forces her to impersonate him, she becomes entangled in a world of imperial and musical intrigue. Germany’s Story House Pictures is producing in coproduction with German public broadcasters ARD, SWR, WDR, Degeto Film, Austria’s ORF and Swiss production company The Dreaming Sheep Company. Bavaria Media International is attached to distribute the project, which is led by showrunner by Andreas Gutzeit. Clara Zoë My-Linh von Arnim directs.

North of North
A half-hour comedy-drama produced more than 2,000 kilometres north of Toronto in Iqaluit, the capital city of Nunavut in the Canadian arctic, this is the largest scripted series ever produced in the region. Co-commissioned by Canadian pubcaster CBC and Netflix in association with Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, it is set in the fictional town of Ice Cove where a young Inuk woman (Anna Lambe) attempts to reinvent herself in her small town after a spontaneous and very public exit from her marriage.
Despite infrastructure and logistical issues among the numerous challenges facing the production, not to mention the extreme weather, the series tackles weighty themes familiar to indigenous communities as creators Stacey Aglok MacDonald and Alethea Arnaquq-Baril sought to put a spotlight on Inuit comedy and build a screen industry in Nunavut.

Smärtpunkten (Pressure Point)
The Nordic Series Script Award 2025, which is presented annually at the Göteborg Film Festival, was presented to this fact-based drama written by Pelle Rädström. Produced by Kärnfilm and Art & Bob for Sweden’s SVT and distributed by Reinvent Studios, it is based on the true story of how renowned playwright Lars Norén and producer Isa Stenberg partnered with the dangerous inmates of a maximum-security prison to create a new play. However, amid a contentious debate on freedom of speech and government oversight lapses, the prisoners exploit their freedom, leading to bank robberies and the emergence of a neo-Nazi organisation. Tragically, their actions result in a double police murder, causing a national scandal and lasting trauma.

Marie Colomb
Having started out in music videos and short films, French actor Colomb is a rising star in Paris and beyond. She made her feature film debut in 2017 before starring in France 2 series Laëtitia as the title character, Laëtitia Perrais, in the retelling of the true story of a young woman’s murder that shocked the country. She went on to appear in sci-fi dramedy OVNI(s) (UFOs) and took the lead role in 2023 miniseries Follow, playing a character who joins the Paris police department on a mission to update its image, just as a serial killer is on the loose. Last year, she starred in Prime Video’s Culte, a fictionalised behind-the-scenes account of the phenomenon behind reality TV show Loft Story – the French version of Big Brother – in the early 2000s. Colomb will now be presented with the Canneseries Madame Figaro Rising Star Award at this spring’s event, while she is also serving on the Panorama competition jury at Series Mania.

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