Truenorth’s Legacy: Two Decades of Shaping Northern Europe’s Cinematic Horizon

From its inception in 2003, Truenorth has redefined Northern Europe’s cinematic offerings. Founded by Leifur Dagfinnsson, the Icelandic stalwart has captured and presented the region’s most breathtaking landscapes to global audiences, elevating its status in the international film circuit. Now, with alliances in Sweden, Norway, Faroe Islands, Finland, Gran Canaria, Greece and Greenland, they’re poised to scale greater heights. Whether it’s film, TV commercials, photoshoots, or music videos, Truenorth has the hunger and experience to pioneer any story.

What began as a dream on Iceland’s eclectic terrains - a melting pot of glaciers, geysers, and verdant valleys - has grown into a revered brand. Whether it’s catering to the vast demands of Clint Eastwood’s 'Flags of Our Fathers' to the intricate dealings of Netflix’s 'The Valhalla Murders,' Truenorths portfolio displays nothing if not versatility. This adaptability has been palpable through ventures like 2018’s 'Mission: Impossible - Fallout,' a logistically challenging shoot involving a dozen helicopters on a 700m mountain peak, through to the eleventh-hour location shift for 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,' deftly executed within a mere day. 

But Truenorth’s significance isn’t confined to delivering pristine locations, or pulling off logistical wizardry. They’ve been instrumental in shaping industry dynamics. Their commitment to sustainable filmmaking ensures these cinematic paradises remain untarnished by the hands of filmmakers. What’s more, their successful advocacy for enhanced film incentives in Iceland underscores their dedication to nurturing local cinematic ecosystems. 

Their 20-year timeline is peppered with monumental achievements: be it orchestrating Tom Cruise’s audacious stunts in 'Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning,' or capturing the intense drama of 'Succession' against Norway’s sublime backdrop. Not to forget their meticulous handling of the acclaimed 'Walter Mitty' shoot, turning the volcanic landscapes of Iceland into diverse settings, ranging from Greenland to the Himalayas. Each venture, while a testament to their prowess, has also been a nod to their unwavering commitment to storytelling - not to mention relentless advocacy. 

Now, as they celebrate their twentieth birthday, the Truenorth team reflects upon some of their most breathtaking productions, showcasing the immense creative potential for the region, and an influence that’ll be felt for generations to come. 

Flags Of Our Fathers (2005)

This major shoot marked the beginning of a series of big pictures coming to Iceland. To work with Clint Eastwood on such an epic project was a huge break for the Icelandic industry. Filming on the beach south of Keflavik International airport, with over five weeks with 1,000 people on set, was a major coup and the only modern era “war” in Iceland. 

Prometheus (2012)

Collaborating with the legendary general of a director, Sir Ridley Scott, was an incredible experience. Filming in the magical black highlands of Iceland worked perfectly as the alien planet, given the scenes of the prehistoric waterfall Dettifoss. Ridley Scott himself said it was “one of the most amazing shots I ever filmed.”

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)

The volcanic eruption in Eyjafjallajokull in 2010 ignited the idea to include Iceland in the classic story about Walter Mitty. Not only were the Iceland scenes filmed in Iceland, but also scenes for Greenland, Himalayas and Afghan Tundra locations. A highlight was Ben Stiller proving his worth by jumping himself into the icy atlantic ocean and fighting a shark.

The Fate of the Furious (2017)

It was one of the most surreal shoots we have ever serviced. We were filming on a frozen lake for the whole time with 300 crew members; that’s something you don’t do everyday. 

The locals all said, “wait until the snowstorms hit, then you’ll know what winter at MývatnLake in North Iceland is like!” But during the over 30 day shooting period, we only experienced just over two hours of weather that affected the shoot. 

Having over 40 Fast & Furious-style cars doing stunt scenes in record explosives in front of your eyes on a daily basis was amazing! Despite all the above, we had no injuries on set. 

The most memorable moment was when someone shouted: “We have a Lambrogini emergency!“ across the whole production office. Meaning, all Lambos were non-operational. Within 48 hours, we had a special Lambo mechanic on the ice wearing brand new winter clothes (since he just got pulled back from a holiday in the Bahamas) on the project. He was only supposed to be with us for two to three days but ended up being there for four weeks… Good times.

Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)

This shoot was set on the top of a 700m high mountain, in a very challenging location in Norway. There was a big helicopter operation, using 12 of them to transport crew and equipment to the mountain top. We built a whole basecamp on the side of the cliffs. 

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning (2023)

Tom Cruise had been preparing the ultimate stunt for 10 years, and realised it on this shoot. It entailed building a huge ramp, where he rode a motorcycle off the edge of the mountain and parachuted down. It's been called the biggest stunt in cinema history… and he did it six times! We also had to close the whole valley by the mountain, for the train stunts. Not to mention the fact we had a crew of 700 people on this job. 

Oblivion (2013)

Oblivion was one of the first main unit projects filmed entirely in the middle of nowhere in the Highland of Iceland. It was a big challenge and needed a lot of clever solutions. Not in the least, since one of the main locations was only accessible by helicopter. It was a stunt-driven shoot with a lot of action - but we also built a set of the view platform of the Empire State building.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

There was a change in the story, which could have resulted in the Iceland shoot being almost cancelled. Due to some very fast thinking and reactions from Truenorth, a different location was proposed. Within 24 hours a 300 person basecamp was moved by the Icelandic crew, from the old location to a new one. That location turned out to be a real winner, lending the scenes an eerie, dramatic feeling, which makes the opening sequence very unique.

Star Wars (2014/15)

Chewbacca being chased in the snowy landscape by the Stormtroopers in the North East of Iceland was a sight to remember. Ensued by epic aerial battle. 

The Midnight Sky (2020)

Filming on a glacier at the end of October, with a main unit of 300 people was a big weather challenge. But Clooney used the weather elements to the fullest and continued to film in the snow storm… for real! 

The Tomorrow War (2021)

The Tomorrow War was partly shot on location in Iceland, set across ice caves, glaciers, and other arctic delights. One of the best moments was blowing up a football field's worth of tightly packed snow on top of Europe's largest glacier. Two days later the crater was no longer visible.

No Time to Die (2021)

We filmed scenes on and by a frozen lake at the end of March, close to Oslo in Norway. We had also built a house on the frozen ground, which then started to thaw, resulting in the house beginning to sink. Also, our first major movie job was filmed in the Faroe Islands for the final sequence which marked the end of the Bond we know as 007 given that he was blown away.

The Northman (2022)

Iceland played a big role in the story and the main unit was intended to film here for a large part of the shooting schedule, but then Covid struck and crew and talent could not travel. 

After Covid, Iceland came back on the map as an actual location important for the story, as they needed more authentic footage of Iceland in the film. One of the main filming locations was Svínafellsjökull, a calving glacier off the Vatnajökull ice cap. Whenever the viking characters are shown on vast glaciers, the actors are actually filming on the real Icelandic Natural Reserve. It was a pleasure to be able to give them the best of Iceland.

A Murder at the End of the World (2022)

During the height of the Covid pandemic and numerous, ‘Code RED’ weather warnings, we managed to shoot in 15 locations in over three weeks. It was a pretty hectic filming schedule.

Iceland plays as Iceland in the story, as one of the main characters resides in his futuristic luxury hotel hidden in a valley far north of the country. 

Succession (Season 4, 2023)

Magical Norway played a big role in one episode of the final series of Succession. The epic locations and the shoot was, well, a big 'success'!

True Detective (2022-23)

This project is a major milestone in the film business in Iceland, since it's the first time a whole foreign series is filmed entirely in the country. There were 8,000sqm of stages that housed the sets and the barren arctic Alaskan landscape that Iceland was doubling for.

It was a big feat by Truenorth’s founder, Leifur B. Dagfinnsson, to secure the shoot. He did so by relentlessly lobbying for an increase in Iceland’s reimbursement to be increased to 35% in order to convince all parties to set up the whole production there.