Viaplay to produce original Polish dramedy ‘Stroke’

• Dramatic comedy is Viaplay’s second scripted commission in Poland
• ‘Stroke’ created by acclaimed playwright and screenwriter Paweł Demirski and stars Jacek Poniedziałek (‘A Heart of Love’; ‘The Reverse’)
• Eight-part series to premiere in 2023

Viaplay has commissioned the eight-part Polish dramatic comedy ‘Stroke’, starring Jacek Poniedziałek (the major films ‘A Heart of Love’ and ‘The Reverse’) as a Warsaw bon vivant and popular TV host whose life is suddenly turned upside down. Created by acclaimed playwright and screenwriter Paweł Demirski (‘Artysci’), ‘Stroke’ will premiere exclusively on Viaplay in 2023 and reflects the service’s commitment to producing distinctive, high-quality storytelling in Poland.

Jacek (Jacek Poniedziałek) is a restaurant critic, TV celebrity and the gay king of Warsaw (“the only city in Poland”, as he calls it). But a stroke changes everything, and Jacek is forced to reassess his priorities and to reinvent himself on a dramatic scale.

The supporting cast includes Marta Malikowska (‘Blinded by the Lights’), Marta Nieradkiewicz (‘Floating Skyscrapers’), Konrad Eleryk (‘Furioza’), Jan Sobolewski (‘The Office PL’), Monika Frajczyk (‘Prime Time’) and Rafał Maćkowiak (‘Herkules’), with Polish screen legends Anna Seniuk (‘Lalka’) and Jerzy Bończak (‘With Fire and Sword’) appearing as Jacek’s parents.

Paweł Demirski: “I came up with the idea for this series in spring 2019. No-one had yet heard of the coronavirus pandemic, but there was already a feeling in the air, in cinema and theatre, that things were somehow burning out. The main character in ‘Stroke’, Jacek, offers another view on the world – one of vitality, of believing that the best is yet to come and that the last word has not yet been said. I am glad that we could turn this idea into a series together with Viaplay.”

Filippa Wallestam, Viaplay Group Chief Content Officer: “Jacek Poniedziałek undergoes such an extraordinary physical metamorphosis for ‘Stroke’ that Polish viewers may not recognise him – but we want Viaplay’s storytelling to be unmistakeable. Our aim is to work with the country’s biggest talents – both famous and undiscovered – to present stories that have not yet been told. I believe ‘Stroke’ will be a big hit among Viaplay’s viewers and will help us attract many new ones.”

‘Stroke’ is directed by Paweł Demirski, Rafał Skalski (‘A Night at the Kindergarten’) and Antonio Galdamez (‘Noamia’). The series (Polish title: ‘Udar’) is produced by Maciej Kubicki at Telemark, with Viaplay Group’s Małgorzata Jurczak as executive producer.

Viaplay’s first Polish scripted commission was the true crime drama ‘Murderesses’, inspired by a book by Katarzyna Bonda, one of Poland’s most popular crime writers. Alongside its line-up of local, Nordic and international films and series, Viaplay offers Polish viewers premium live sports such as Premier League, Formula 1, Bundesliga, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League, KSW, NHL and much more.

About Viaplay’s own content

Upcoming Viaplay-produced series and films include Viaplay’s first Dutch film; ‘Camino’; ‘Munch’; ‘Bullshit’; ‘Jana – Marked for Life’; ‘The Åre Murders’; ‘Furia’ season two; ‘Rebus’; ‘Sex Dreams Love’; ‘Veronika’; ‘In the Name of Love’; ‘The Street Where I Live’; ‘My Fault’; ‘Call Me Dad’; ‘The Beach Hotel’; ‘Roombeek’; ‘Listen Up!’; ‘End of Summer’; ‘Thunder in My Heart’ season two; ‘Live Life’; ‘Little Did I Know’; ‘It Could Have Been Us’; ‘Threesome’ season two; ‘The Fortress’; ‘The Hunt for Jasper S.’; ‘Liv Ullmann: The Road Less Travelled’; ‘Something Stupid’; ‘The Guilty’; ‘Stockholm Bloodbath’; ‘Delete Me’ season two; ‘Ronja’; ‘The Uninhabitable Earth’; ‘Murderesses’; a biopic of Börje Salming; and ‘The Swarm’.

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 entertainment provider. Our Viaplay streaming service is available direct-to-consumer in every Nordic and Baltic country, Poland, the Netherlands and the UK, and we are expanding rapidly by launching in the US and Canada in 2023. Every day, millions of customers enjoy our unique entertainment offering, including acclaimed Viaplay Series, Films and more, and an unrivalled line-up of premium live sports. In addition, our innovative Viaplay Select branded content concept makes Viaplay’s compelling storytelling available to partners around the world. 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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