Segue Into . . . Iceland as a Television Hot Spot

For years, Hollywood has been seeking out Iceland as the backdrop to films about outer space, ancient Vikings and fantasy worlds. More recently, the North Atlantic island has become a hotspot for television production too.

Iceland’s specialty is murder mysteries including several series that can be viewed on Netflex, Amazon Prime, HBO and elsewhere. Some of the recent shows filmed in Iceland include:

Fortitude (Amazon Prime)

Although set on the island of Spitsbergen in the Norwegian Arctic, the series is actually filmed in and around the town of Reyðarfjörður on Iceland’s east coast. Local sheriff Dan Anderssen (Richard Dormer) and Scotland Yard detective Eugene Morton (Stanley Tucci) have multiple murders to solve in the thriller with supernatural overtones.

The Lava Field (Netflix)

Largely filmed on location on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, the action follows two Icelandic detectives as they investigate the murder of a wealthy businessman and the disappearance of a young girl in the lava fields of west Iceland.

Game of Thrones (HBO)

This mega-hit fantasy series films in a number of countries, but Iceland has always been one of the producers’ favorite locales. Among the places where GOT has filmed are Thingvellir National Park, the Grjótagjá Cave of northern Iceland, and the Dimmuborgir lava fields near Myvatn.

Trapped (Amazon.com)

Filmed on location in the tiny town of Seyðisfjörður in the East Fjords, Trapped is a race against time (and snow) as the local police chief and two junior officers try to solve the murder of a teenage girl as a blizzard cuts the town off from the rest of Iceland.

Case (Netflix)

Rather than cops, Case is about three Icelandic attorneys working for a small firm who take on cases (like murder) that flummox the local police and prosecutors. Three seasons have been produced thus far.