Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, known for his recent role in Severance as Mr. Drummond, stars in a new food-themed crime series, Reykjavik Fusion, which premiered at CANNESERIES Season 8 in April. As described by its executive producer, Erik Barmack, the series is a remarkable mix of Breaking Bad and The Bear.
In Reykjavik Fusion, the protagonist Jónas, described as a talented chef falsely imprisoned for tax fraud, gets released and opens up a restaurant. Financed by a crime lord, Jónas’s life is consumed by crime, which threatens his loved ones as well as his parole.
Meanwhile, all Jónas wishes is to master the haute cuisine with “Icelandic ingredients cooked Asian style, with all kinds of secret twists.” Yet the world of crime forces him to become an accomplice to murder, drowning in debt.
Definitely a highly polished production, Reykjavik Fusion stands out from other Icelandic series, with its fast pace and heart-pounding action, including car chases and thrilling sequences.
Alongside Ólafsson, who has also starred in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, True Detective, and Trapped, the Icelandic series features Hera Hilmar (Mortal Engines, The Oath) as Mary, an unpredictable assistant to the crime lord Kristján, portrayed by Thröstur Leo Gunnarsson (Driving Mum) and his ex-wife Katrín, played by Lára Jóhanna Jónsdóttir (Trapped).
