Viaplay commissions Roombeek
July 19, 2022
One of the biggest disasters in recent Dutch history, the Enschede fireworks warehouse explosion in May 2000, will become the subject of a four-part scripted Viaplay Original series. The compelling drama ‘Roombeek’ will relate the devasting human impact of the tragedy and its aftermath, and is produced by EndemolShine Scripted, a Banijay Benelux label. ‘Roombeek’ is the latest addition to Viaplay’s fast-growing slate in the Netherlands, which features projects developed by some of the country’s biggest creative talents.
Saturday, 13 May 2000 is a day etched in the Dutch collective memory. A warehouse filled with fireworks caught fire and exploded in the Roombeek suburb of the city of Enschede – killing 23 people, including four firefighters, and injuring nearly 950. Roombeek itself was largely destroyed, with 200 homes ruined and 1,500 heavily damaged.
Casting for the series is underway, and production will begin in early 2023. ‘Roombeek’ is produced by EndemolShine Scripted’s Gerd-Jan van Dalen and Viaplay Group’s Kennard Bos.
Filippa Wallestam, Viaplay Group Chief Content Officer: “We have very high ambitions for our Dutch Originals, and are committed to working with both established and upcoming local talents to tell unique stories that can attract a broad audience. ‘Roombeek’ will be a sensitive and high-quality production that looks beyond the headlines to show us some of the human lives affected by a tragic event.”
Viaplay’s scripted Dutch Original slate includes the true crime drama ‘The Hunt for Jasper S.’, produced by Willem Bosch and Pieter Kuijpers; the dark comedy ‘Something Stupid’, created by bestselling novelist Saskia Noort; and Liesbeth Strik’s drama ‘The Guilty’.
Viaplay launched in the Netherlands in March with a unique combination of Viaplay Originals, Hollywood films and series, kids content and premium live sports. The streaming services STARZPLAY and hayu are also included in a Viaplay subscription.