Forge Films Launches With Viking Series Lost in Hel
A new studio for sci-fi, fantasy and horror has opened with a Viking saga as its calling card.
Forge Films Company was launched over the summer by Antoine Disle, Orso Vesperini and Olivier Compere, Deadline reported on 5 October. The announcement names Lost in Hel, a series steeped in Viking mythology, as the first title from its slate. It puts a new player on the board in genre television.
Forge describes itself as an IP studio. That is industry shorthand for a company that creates original stories, or intellectual property, designed from the start to travel across television, film, games and other formats. A slate is the list of projects such a company has in development. The idea is simple. Build the world once, then tell it in more than one place.
The team is built to work across borders. Its executives are based in the United States, France and the United Kingdom. Lost in Hel itself will come out of the U.S. arm of the organisation.
The story begins with disaster at sea. A Viking clan is shipwrecked on an unmapped island. Survivors follow Jarl Alvar, a Norse chieftain, and a Christian queen who are forced into an alliance. Together they must unite sworn enemies against an ancient force waking on the island.
Viewers can already get a sense of the world. Forge has released Breathe in Hel, a proof-of-concept film on YouTube. A proof of concept is a short demo, made to show the look, tone and scale of a bigger project before a full series is ordered or sold. It is a common shop window for an unmade show.
The demo was directed by Nik Kacevski. It stars Jessica Ferguson, Troy Honeysett, Masa Yamaguchi and Grace Durrant. No broadcaster or platform has been announced. No episode count has been disclosed. That is normal at this early stage.
Forge is also staffing for stories beyond television. Leonidas Vesperini has joined as Head of Gaming & Interactive Experiences, a role covering video games and interactive spin-offs. Former Lionsgate senior vice-president Marc Lorber is advising the company on strategy and deals.
For fans, this means patience is required. The YouTube short is available now. The full series still has to find its slot.
