‘Cop Secret’ Gets First Trailer Ahead of Locarno Competition World Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)

Iceland’s Pegasus Pictures and sales agent Alief have just dropped a first trailer for “Cop Secret,” a full-on pulse pounding cop actioner that world premieres in main competition at the 74th Locarno Film Festival.

Alief President Brett Walker will introduce the propulsive, high testosterone movie to buyers at Locarno Pro, the Swiss festival’s robust industry program which kicks off Friday.

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The movie tips its hat to ‘80s and ‘90s buddy cop action classics in its action set-ups, characters and shots – as when the camera swoops over blue Icelandic water to a rather bathetic non-“Miami Vice” skyline at the get-go.

“Cop Secret” is not, however, popcorn escapism. It turns on Bussi, a tough “supercop” played by Audunn Blöndal (“The Garden”), who shoots people and destroys stuff, “Bad Boys”-style.

But when Bussi assigned a new partner – the suave, cultured and self-declaredly pan-sexual Hordur Bess, played by “Black’s Game’s” Egill Einarsson – he begins an inner struggle with his true sexuality.

“The idea is to make an action comedy that is not afraid of mimicking Hollywood action clichés, a film that has never been done before in Iceland,” says “Cop Secret” co-writer and director Hannes Þór Halldórsson.
He added: “We will have gunfights, one-liner phrases and exaggerated fights. I am convinced that ‘Cop Secret’ will be a movie that will be cool, original, exciting and explosive.”

Cop Secret - Credit: Credit: Elli Cassata
Cop Secret - Credit: Credit: Elli Cassata

Credit: Elli Cassata

For the most part, draped in a soundtrack featuring a remix of popular Icelandic pop song “Hjálpaðu mér upp,” the trailer focuses on “Cop Secret’s” plot, Bussi’s sentiments and action.

The latter is sometimes violent and most often expeditious – as thieves, led by Rikki, a soft-spoken psychopath and former model, break into three Reykjavík banks but steal nothing, apparently.

That’s somehow connected to a bomb at a soccer stadium.

That could be seen as a nod to Halldórsson’s other calling, beyond TV series and commercials direction, as a professional soccer goalkeeper, best known for turning away a penalty kick by Lionel Messi in a 2018 soccer World Cup match between Iceland and Argentina.

“Cop Secret” is produced by Lilja Ósk Snorradóttir (“Echo”) for Pegasus Pictures which has provided production services on Sky’s “Fortitude” and HBO’s “Succession.” Produced by Pegasus, Rúnar Rúnarsson’s “Echo” played in main international competition at Locarno in 2019, nabbing the Youth Jury Award.

Cop Secret - Credit: Credit: Elli Cassata
Cop Secret - Credit: Credit: Elli Cassata

Credit: Elli Cassata

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