Abid Raja’s ‘My Fault’ enters development as major Norwegian Viaplay Original

• Former minister’s autobiography was Norway’s most sold book in 2021
• Viaplay adaptation directed by Per-Olav Sørensen (‘Quicksand’) and scripted by Odd-Magnus Williamson (‘Aber Bergen’)
• Viaplay to premiere at least 70 Originals in 2022

‘My Fault’, the bestselling autobiography by the renowned Norwegian politician and former minister Abid Raja, has begun development by Viaplay as a major drama series. Star director Per-Olav Sørensen (‘Quicksand’; ‘The Playlist’) and scriptwriter Odd-Magnus Williamson (‘Aber Bergen’; ‘Nothing to Laugh About’) are the first names attached to the ambitious Norwegian-language production, which is developed by The Global Ensemble Drama.

Abid Raja is currently Second Deputy Leader of Norway’s Liberal Party and served as the country’s Minister of Culture, Sports & Equality from January 2020 to October 2021. He was Vice President of the Storting, the Norwegian parliament, between 2017 and 2020, becoming only the second Muslim to hold the office in the country’s history. ‘My Fault’ was Norway’s most sold book in 2021.

Abid Raja: “Culture has the power to move, and to inspire reflection and change. I have the greatest trust in Odd-Magnus Williamson as a screenwriter and Per-Olav Sørensen as a director. I hope that my openness can help more people to talk about their difficulties and get rid of the guilt and shame that we all carry. I hope we can silence that negative voice inside us.”

Per-Olav Sørensen: “To get the chance to create a Viaplay series that depicts such dramatic situations, humiliating events, heartbreaking experiences and overwhelming love is a gift. ‘My Fault’ is a story that hits you hard, right in the stomach.”

Filippa Wallestam, Viaplay Group Chief Content Officer: “Abid Raja’s personal story is remarkable. One of Norway’s most famous political figures, his advocacy on vital topics such as civil rights, tolerance and religious freedom is increasingly attracting international attention. This adaptation of 2021’s number one book in Norway by two of the country’s biggest creative stars has the potential to make a deep impression on Viaplay audiences everywhere.”

On-screen talents for ‘My Fault’ (Norwegian title: ‘Min skyld’) will be announced in due course. The series is produced by Janne Hjeltnes and Ingrid Skagestad at The Global Ensemble Drama, with Kari Moen Kristiansen as executive producer for Viaplay.

About Viaplay Originals

At least 70 Viaplay Originals are set to premiere in 2022. Upcoming Originals include ‘Call Me Dad’; ‘The Beach Hotel’; ‘Roombeek’; ‘Listen Up!’; ‘End of Summer’; ‘R.I.P. Henry’; ‘Thunder in My Heart’ season two; ‘Live Life’; ‘There's Something Going On’; ‘It Could Have Been Us’; ‘Threesome’ season two; ‘R.S.V.P.’; ‘The Fortress’; ‘The Hunt for Jasper S.’; ‘Liv Ullmann: The Road Less Travelled’; ‘Those Who Kill’ season three; ‘Face to Face’ season three; ‘The Meaning of Life’; ‘Something Stupid’; ‘The Guilty’; ‘Stockholm Bloodbath’; ‘Delete Me’ season two; ‘The Dreamer – Becoming Karen Blixen’; ‘Fenris’; ‘Gold Run’; ‘Last Light’; ‘Cell 8’; ‘Elvira’; ‘North Sea Connection’; ‘Limbo’; ‘Litvinenko’; ‘Karma and Jonar’; ‘Ronja’; ‘The Uninhabitable Earth’; ‘Polish Murderesses’; ‘Black Dog’; ‘Freedom of the Swallow’; ‘Honour’ season three; ‘Pørni’ season three; ‘Hilma’; ‘Who Shot Otto Mueller?’; a biopic of Börje Salming; ‘THE KINGDOM EXODUS’; ‘Estonia: The Last Wave’; ‘Stella Blómkvist’ season two; ‘The Swarm’; ‘Perfect People’; and ‘Margeaux’.

Two major English-language films will be produced by Viaplay every year. The company has also established a UK-based joint venture with FilmNation Entertainment and invested in US studio Picturestart.

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NOTES TO EDITORS

Viaplay Group AB (publ) is the international streaming challenger. Our Viaplay streaming service is available in every Nordic and Baltic country, Poland, the US and the Netherlands, and we are expanding rapidly by launching in the UK in 2022, followed by Canada, Germany, Austria and Switzerland in 2023. Viaplay will have a market presence in at least 21 countries by the end of 2023, including at least five partner markets for the Viaplay Select branded content concept. Every day, millions of customers enjoy our unique entertainment offering, including acclaimed Viaplay Originals and an unrivalled line-up of premium live sports. From streaming to TV channels, radio stations and production companies, our purpose is to tell stories, touch lives and expand worlds. Viaplay Group is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm (‘VPLAY B’).

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