{"id":343772,"date":"2026-03-23T14:08:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-23T14:08:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/343772\/"},"modified":"2026-03-23T14:08:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T14:08:11","slug":"the-traitor-within-about-nazi-collaborator-debuts-bts-images","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/343772\/","title":{"rendered":"‘The Traitor Within’ About Nazi Collaborator Debuts BTS Images"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tWWII thriller \u2018The Traitor Within<\/a>\u2019 has debuted exclusive behind-the-scenes images ahead of the Series Mania<\/a> Buyers Upfront<\/a> on Monday March 23.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tBased on the true story of Norway\u2019s most notorious Nazi collaborator \u2013 and the man who was ordered to kill him \u2013 it sees two young men attempt to join the resistance in Nazi occupied Norway. Standing at the crossroads of history, their choices send them down radically different paths.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tHenry Rinnan, an ordinary family man and unremarkable salesman, becomes the Gestapo\u2019s most valuable Norwegian agent. Codenamed Agent Lola, he infiltrates and destroys the resistance from within, using deception, sabotage, torture \u2013 and murder. Resistance fighter Odd S\u00f8rli rises in rank as a key opposition figure, coordinating with British intelligence to save his country.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tS\u00f8rli is given a single, deadly mission: Assassinate Rinnan. What follows is a relentless cat-and-mouse battle across borders and hidden networks, driven by lies, betrayal and shifting loyalties.<\/p>\n

\n\tHenry Rinnan is played by Axel B\u00f8yum\u00a0whose credits include Emmy-winning \u201cEyewitness\u201d\u00a0as well as \u201cBlasted.\u201d He won Norway\u2019s best actor Gullruten Award for his performance as Adrian in \u201cHeimebane.\u201d Odin Waage (\u201cWisting,\u201d \u201cEyewitness\u201d) co-stars as Odd S\u00f8rli.<\/p>\n

\n\tProduced by Miso Film<\/a> Norway for Prime Video and TV2 Norway, who also serve as co-producers, \u201cThe Traitor Within\u201d is a four-part thriller. It\u2019s directed by Kenneth Karlstad (\u201cKids in Crime,\u201d \u201cThe Hunger\u201d) and the screenplay written by \u00d8yvind Holtmon and Eirik M. Holsve. Kristen Ulseth and Are Heidenstr\u00f8m serve as producers for Miso Film Norway.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI think the biggest challenge is to stay relevant in a market that\u2019s becoming more conservative. In Scandinavia, we\u2019ve always had to be creative in our approach to storytelling, finding new ways to tell stories that stand out through perspective and character. For us, that\u2019s the opportunity in this moment \u2013 not competing within familiar formulas but offering something distinct,\u201d Ulseth told\u00a0Variety.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThere\u2019s a strong fascination today with real events and real people, and we tap into that by telling true, untold stories that feel urgent and relevant now. The focus is on character and theme, which brings a sense of relevant immediacy to the past. That\u2019s what gives us confidence about our shows: that a distinct, character-driven story can actually stand out more\u00a0in a market where so much feels familiar.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIeva Jacobija<\/p>\n

\n\tThere are many strong WWII films and series, in Norway and internationally, often centered around heroism, she observed.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cFor us, the starting point was a desire to explore a different side of that story. The story of the notorious traitor Henry Rinnan allows us to examine moral ambiguity, betrayal, and how ordinary people navigate extreme situations. Which feels uncomfortably relevant today, as Europe is once again marked by war, polarization and rising extremism.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tBecause of that, they didn\u2019t look to traditional war dramas for inspiration.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWe wanted a more contemporary, character-driven approach. Something immediate and emotionally real. Bringing in director Kenneth Karlstad was key. He has a raw, intimate approach to characters. He holds a strong and playful visual style, and we knew he could make this story feel authentic and present, as if it\u2019s unfolding here and now. That was our guiding idea from the beginning: not to retell a familiar war story, but share a unique untold one, and create a series that feels urgent, human, and close to our own time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tKarlstad admitted: \u201cWhen I was offered the project by Kristin and Are, I had to ask my dad for advice. He said: \u2018Don\u2019t do it. It\u2019s too much of a sensitive topic\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThat says much about the potency of this 80-some years later. So I went for it, as I think we need the ability to look evil in the eye. To me, this constant worshipping of our war heroes is uncanny, and it blinds us to the lessons we can learn from war.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe team decided to stay as close to the true story as possible, covering a period of seven years.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cOur screenwriters were very inspired by the true story of the Rinnan group, and I wanted to highlight this authenticity by blending archival footage seamlessly with our own footage,\u201d he said, calling Rinnan \u201ca little man with some very distinct special abilities that nobody recognized \u2013 until the Nazis came.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cHe had an extremely good memory and social skills, perfect for a spy. This combined with pride and narcissistic ambition makes for a potent cocktail. I think he needed to feel a sense of purpose and the Nazi regime gave him the opportunity to be empowered and superior. It was a circumstantial match made in hell.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIeva Jacobija<\/p>\n

\n\tMiso Film will also present historical epic \u201cRoyal Blood\u201d at the Coming Next from the Nordics Showcase \u2013 their second project to be selected by the festival.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201c\u2018The Traitor Within\u2019 and \u2018Royal Blood,\u2019 while very different, are two very ambitious series, and are important stories to tell in the present times we live in. It\u2019s always interesting to see how history can be relevant in today\u2019s context, and it\u2019s something we have explored in other series like \u20181864\u2019 and \u2018The Bombardment,\u2019 both reflecting on the impact of war,\u201d noted Jonas Allen, CEO and producer at Miso Film.<\/p>\n

\n\tHe called both shows a great fit within the company\u2019s slate and its ethos, which has to do with \u201cworking with the best creative talent to deliver bold storytelling which always delivers on production value and never compromises on creative integrity.\u201d <\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThis is true of previous series like \u2018The Investigation,\u2019 \u2018Faithless\u2019 and \u2018The Uniform,\u2019 and the ones currently in production: \u2018Side Effects\u2019 and \u2018The Cold Song\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThe Traitor Within\u201d is produced with the support of the Norwegian Film Institute (NFI), Filminvest, Fr\u00f8ya kommune and Sparebanken1.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tExecutive producers are Peter Bose and Jonas Allen for Miso Film, Andreas Hjert\u00f8 for Prime Video, and Alice Sommer for TV 2 Norway. Miso Film is a Fremantle<\/a> company and Fremantle is handling international sales.<\/p>\n

\n\tAccording to Jens Richter, CEO Commercial & International at Fremantle, the show has \u201call the elements of an international hit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cAt its core, it is a gripping cat-and-mouse thriller driven by lies, betrayal, and shifting loyalties, with addictive pacing. It also brings a fresh perspective to a rarely explored chapter of history, with a psychological focus on how ordinary people can be drawn into evil through fear and power,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWith cinematic scale, striking landscapes, and the strength of Miso Film and award-winning director Kenneth Karlstad, we\u2019re confident it will connect with audiences worldwide.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIeva Jacobija<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"WWII thriller \u2018The Traitor Within\u2019 has debuted exclusive behind-the-scenes images ahead of the Series Mania Buyers Upfront on…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":343773,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[183323,156,142069,183324,111,139,69,157230,183325,437],"class_list":{"0":"post-343772","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tv","8":"tag-buyers-upfront","9":"tag-entertainment","10":"tag-fremantle","11":"tag-miso-film","12":"tag-new-zealand","13":"tag-newzealand","14":"tag-nz","15":"tag-series-mania","16":"tag-the-traitor-within","17":"tag-tv"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/343772","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=343772"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/343772\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/343773"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=343772"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=343772"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=343772"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}