Netflix has announced that filming has begun on “Operação TAP,” its first feature film produced in Portugal. The project extends the platform’s work with Portuguese fiction beyond series such as “Glória,” its first Portuguese series.
The film is loosely based on the 1980 hijacking of a TAP flight from Lisbon to Faro. On May 6, a 16-year-old armed with a pistol forced the plane to divert to Madrid. Netflix’s synopsis says he demanded $10 million and held passengers and crew hostage during a tense night.
The story, as described by Netflix, also explores an unexpected connection between the young hijacker and the people he holds captive. The platform characterizes the film as an adventure with an 1980s feel and a contemporary pace, mixing tension and emotion.
João Nuno Pinto, whose previous films include “Mosquito” and “18 Buracos para o Paraíso,” is directing. The screenplay is by Pedro Lopes, Miguel Rico and Marina Preguiça Ribeiro. The main cast includes Rui Pedro Silva, Afonso Pimentel and Victoria Guerra.
SPi, part of the SP Televisão group and also the producer of “Glória,” is making the film. Netflix has not announced a release date.
Sources: Pplware.