Iceland doubling for Alaska in HBO Max series True Detective: Night Country

Production on HBO Max's television series, True Detective: Night Country, is currently underway in Iceland. 

The Emmy Award-winning American anthology crime drama will be filmed in Iceland over a 9-month period for a budget of around ISK 9bn ($64.8m), with the country doubling for Alaska.

The project forms the largest-ever foreign investment in culture in Iceland's history, according to minister of culture, Lilja Dögg Alfreðsdóttir; who says the project is proof that government initiatives are helping put Iceland’s film industry on the map (via Iceland Review).

The fourth season follows detectives Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) and Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis) as they investigate the disappearance of six men from a research station. 

Iceland’s government recently raised the rebate for production costs for films and TV series that shoot in the country from 25% to 35%. Alfreðsdóttir made the announcement - as well confirming as other initiatives - to members of the film and music industry on a recent trip to Los Angeles.

“I feel a lot of support here in Los Angeles with the initiatives we have been implementing in the last year or so to promote creative industries in Iceland,” Alfreðsdóttir said.

“The True Detective project is the largest foreign investment in the field of culture in Iceland’s history. With a clear vision and multifaceted actions, we are succeeding in making our country a highly respected partner in the world of cinema. International film companies are ready to invest in bigger, longer-term projects than they did. It is a huge victory for Icelandic culture and economy and confirmation that what the government is doing matters,” she added.

Image 1 credit: Stjórnarráðið. Lilja Alfreðsdóttir (centre, with sunglasses) alongside Warner reps.