ACT4, ZDF and ZDF Studios greenlight Icelandic Thriller ‘VIGILANT’
‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ director Kari Skogland to direct
Reykjavik and Mainz, 21 October 2026
Icelandic production company ACT4, German broadcaster ZDF and ZDF Studios have officially greenlit VIGILANT, a new 6-part English-language drama series with Emmy-nominated filmmaker Kari Skogland set to direct. With the international partnership and financing now in place, VIGILANT will move into production in Iceland on 29 October. VIGILANT is a production of ACT4 and co-produced by ZDF and ZDF Studios. ZDF Studios co-developed the show and will oversee the worldwide distribution outside the US, which will be handled by Los Angeles-based Zero Gravity.
VIGILANT follows a journalist who is approached by a self-styled vigilante seeking to expose his violent campaign against sexual predators. Initially seeing him as a voice for the voiceless, she soon begins to suspect a darker truth: it is not justice he seeks, but revenge. As her reporting fuels a nationwide debate, the series explores a provocative question: can violence ever be justified when the justice system fails?
Combining a gripping thriller narrative with timely moral and societal questions, VIGILANT examines the blurred lines between justice, vengeance and public accountability.
The series is written and adapted by Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, the ‘Severance’ and ‘Trapped’ star and partner of ACT4. The series adapts the thriller ‘Stóri bróðir’, a novel by Skúli Sigurðsson. The novel was awarded the Icelandic Crime Novel Award (Blóðdropinn) in 2023 and shortlisted for the Glass Key, the top Nordic prize for crime fiction.
Víkingur Kristjánsson, Anita Briem, Teitur Magnússon and Anna Gunndís Guðmundsdóttir are co-writers with Ólafur Darri, bringing together some of Iceland’s most distinctive creative voices for an ambitious new international drama.
“Skúli’s novel had a profound impact on me when I first read it. Beneath the thriller, I found a story asking difficult questions about justice, anger and what happens when people lose faith in the systems meant to protect them. Those questions have stayed with me throughout the process of adapting the book for television. I’m incredibly proud of the scripts we’ve created, and I can’t wait to see Kari bring this world and these characters to life with her extraordinary vision, alongside the incredible cast and creative team we’ve assembled,” says Ólafur Darri Ólafsson.
Kari Skogland will direct all episodes of the series and serve as executive producer. Skogland is one of the most established directors working across international film and premium television. She received a BAFTA win and an Emmy nomination for her work on ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ and directed all six episodes of Marvel Studios’ ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’. Her most recent television credits include 'The Loudest Voice', which garnered a Golden Globe, Smoke and the upcoming 12 12 12 for Apple TV+.
“Vigilant captivated me from the first page. The characters are embedded in a world that takes us on twists and turns while exploring all too familiar behavior and the collateral damage left behind closed doors. The characters walk their own lines of morality that continually make the audience question their own moral position. Everyone’s damage is exposed at some point, their fragility and strength are tested in this fantastic landscape for thought provoking performance opportunities, all while wrapped in a nail-biting thriller. It’s exactly the kind of project I love to sink into, and the cast and production team who have come aboard make it all that much more exciting,” says Kari Skogland.
VIGILANT marks a new chapter in the relationship between ACT4 and ZDF, following their collaboration on the upcoming Icelandic crime drama ‘Death of a Horse’. Commissioned by RÚV and ZDF as part of the New8 public broadcaster alliance, ‘Death of a Horse’ is produced by ACT4 in co-production with Germany’s Windlight Pictures and is set to premiere in 2026.
„VIGILANT combines a gripping crime story with timely questions about justice, revenge and accountability. Set against the striking backdrop of Iceland and driven by a compelling female lead, the series brings together the best of Nordic storytelling and premium international drama. As an international co-production partner, we are proud to collaborate with ACT4, ZDF Studios and Síminn in bringing this ambitious and distinctive project to the screen and to our German audience,” says Katharina Kremling, Commissioning Editor at ZDF.
“VIGILANT is exactly the kind of premium international drama that resonates across borders: a compelling thriller rooted in a highly relevant societal dilemma. The series combines Iceland's distinctive storytelling tradition with universal themes that will connect with audiences worldwide. We are proud to continue our successful collaboration with ACT4 and to bring this exceptional project to the international market.” says Rodrigo Herrera Ibarguengoytia, Director Drama, ZDF Studios.
Síminn has joined VIGILANT as the Icelandic financing, broadcast and streaming partner. The project reflects Síminn’s continued commitment to ambitious Icelandic drama and to partnerships that bring local stories to both Icelandic and international audiences. VIGILANT will premiere in Iceland exclusively on Sjónvarp Símans Premium.
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About ACT 4
ACT4 is an Icelandic production company founded by actor and producer Ólafur Darri Ólafsson and producers Hörður Rúnarsson, Jónas Margeir Ingólfsson and Birkir Blær Ingólfsson. Based in Reykjavík, ACT4 develops and produces ambitious film and television projects rooted in Nordic storytelling and created for international audiences.
Its productions include ‘Reykjavík Fusion’, which premiered at Canneseries, and the previously mentioned upcoming drama series ‘Death of a Horse’. ACT4 is currently developing a growing slate of Icelandic and international film and television projects with leading creative and production partners in Europe and North America.
About ZDF
ZDF (Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen) is Germany's national public television broadcaster. It is run as an independent non-profit corporation under the authority of the Länder, the sixteen states that constitute the Federal Republic of Germany. The nationwide channel ZDF has been broadcasting since 1st April 1963 and remains one of the country's leading sources of information. Today, ZDF also operates the two thematic channels ZDFneo and ZDFinfo. In partnership with other public broadcasters, ZDF jointly operates the internet-only offer funk, the German channels PHOENIX and KiKA, and the European channels 3sat and ARTE.
https://www.zdf.de/unternehmen/en
About ZDF Studios
ZDF Studios is a commercial subsidiary of ZDF, one of the largest TV broadcasters in Europe. Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Mainz, Germany, the ZDF Studios Group operates more than 30 direct and indirect subsidiaries and affiliates spanning TV production, distribution and services. The parent company, ZDF Studios, is responsible for global programme distribution, realisation of international co-productions, acquisition of licences and merchandising of successful programme brands under its own name, for ZDF and third parties. ZDF Studios has the largest German-language programme inventory in the world and a constantly growing range of international productions, consisting of series and mini-series, television films, documentaries and children's programmes.
The companies of the ZDF Studios Group cover the entire value chain from the development of scripted and unscripted TV content to production, marketing and monetizing, including TV and streaming licences as well as merchandising and online rights. The positioning of ZDF Studios as an integrated media company enables the development of innovative, outstanding and high-quality programmes and makes the Group an attractive workplace for German and international talent to flourish in a very inspiring and creative environment.
About Zero Gravity
Zero Gravity Management, a full-service entertainment company working across film and television. Zero Gravity represents writers, directors and actors while also developing, financing and producing projects for the international market. Its production credits include the acclaimed Netflix series ‘Ozark’, alongside a broad slate of film and television projects.