Viaplay taps ‘We Are All Leaving’s Jonas Risvig for young adult drama

Filippa Wallestam

Viaplay is expanding its young adult (YA) drama offering with a show from Jonas Risvig (We Are All Leaving) that explores the lives of members of a choir.

Boys is based on Risvig’s experiences of growing up in a small Danish town and follows the lives of 10 young men who push limits and test adult life once their religious services are over.

The story tracks their relationships when one of the boys drowns under mysterious circumstances.

It is being produced by Nordic firm REinvent Studios with Rikke Ennis as executive producer and Sofie Siboni as producer, and is written by Mikkel Sørensen and Lars Bang. Filming has recently completed in Silkeborg.

Risvig, who was behind 2019 short film We Are All Leaving, as well as YA shows Grænser and Centrum, said: “It’s exciting to create such a dramatic and relevant series in the town where I grew up. I think most people can identify with being part of a group where you go a little further than in other places, and which helps define the person you end up becoming – for better or worse.”

Filippa Wallestam, NENT Group’s chief content officer, added: “Jonas is part of a new generation of talented Nordic filmmakers showing the complexity of growing up today. Viaplay’s YA shows are some of our most successful in any genre, and we support voices of all ages in telling stories that are both recognisable and challenging.”

Viaplay’s previous YA series include Swedish drama Thunder In My Heart, created by Amy Deasismont, and Norwegian short-form drama Delete Me.