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Our Story.
Red Herring Story Ltd is a film and television development company dedicated to storylining for the screen.
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As a UK affiliate of the Nordic GRÓ Studios, founded in 2022, Red Herring Story is headquartered in London.​​​
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Steered by Faroese creator, writer, and executive producer Torfinnur Jákupsson, Red Herring Story develops both original and existing IP with a particular affinity for crime, thriller, and sci-fi — though all good stories are of interest. We are drawn to diverse drama with bite, often incorporating a distinctive cultural, social, political, or environmental angle. We take an investigative approach to crafting bold, thought-provoking storytelling that baits you in, makes you question everything, and never lets you go.
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In addition to this, Red Herring Story develops unscripted formats, including investigative documentaries as well as formatted reality TV with a thriller twist — merging real-world intrigue with the narrative intensity of high-end drama.
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Before branching out into film and TV, Jákupsson worked for over a decade as a journalist with investigative storytelling, reporting, and documentary research. This has shaped his approach to storylining for the screen — grounding fictional along with factual narratives in real-world urgency, layered conspiracies, and high-stakes personal conflicts.​​​​ Now, with Red Herring Story, he brings that investigative edge to a range of international projects, championing complex, suspense-driven storytelling with a strong sense of place. His first series, TROM (2022) — the first-ever series from the North Atlantic archipelago of the Faroe Islands — was an internationally acclaimed, award-winning eco-crime drama, which put the small fishing nation of the Faroes on the global film & TV map.​​​​​​​
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With Red Herring Story, the personal aim is also to help other first-time writers, producers and directors to break into the industry. In addition to our own slate of projects in development, Red Herring Story is dedicated to supporting emerging talent, empowering new voices, and fresh perspectives.
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Why Red Herring?
Red Herring Story wants to lead you somewhere unexpected — to what’s hidden beneath the surface and places you haven’t seen before.
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In storytelling, a red herring is a distraction. A false trail. A misdirection that keeps audiences guessing. ​​The name speaks to how deception has always been at the heart of great storytelling. The best thrillers don’t just lead you to the truth — they make you fight for it.
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As the fisherman knows, both danger and reward can be found in the unseen. Beneath the surface, there might be a great catch or an empty net. Beyond the horizon, there might be calm waters or a coming storm. A storyteller asks the same questions. What’s lurks behind the immediate and obvious? Who is lying and telling the truth? What hidden forces are shaping the world behind the scenes?​​
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Roykstovan.
​​Long before there were screens to flicker with images or pages to turn, stories were told in the heart of the smoky fire-lit darkness of the traditional Faroese home — ‘roykstovan.’
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In the Faroe Islands, where the wind howls and the sea takes as much as it gives, storytelling was about more than entertainment — it was about survival and a shared history. The stories told, spoken and sung, weren’t just folktales and myths. They were also warnings about the forces that lurk beyond what we can see — from the depths of the ocean to the towering mountain top — tales of misplaced trust, betrayal, and fate. Dark, deceptive — twisting through layers of mystery and misdirection. About secrets kept too long and the price of revealing them — about what happens when the truth finally surfaces.
In Roykstovan, as we like to call the Red Herring Writers’ Room, we carry forward that tradition — telling stories that are as unpredictable as the Faroese weather.​​​​​​​​​​​
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The Team.
With Red Herring Story, we are not just building a business — we are building a community of talent and creativity.
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From our headquarters in London, we currently collaborate with creative partners across the Nordics, Europe, the UK, US, and South America, to create stories with international impact — local stories with a global reach — and we are always looking beyond the horizon for new opportunities and new partners-in-crime to join the team.
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If you’re a budding writer, producer, director, or just someone with a story to tell, do get in touch. Take advantage of the support and development offered by Red Herring Story and embark on your own journey to bring your story and unique creative vision to life.
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Contact​​​​​.
Red Herring Story Ltd
71-75 Shelton Street
Covent Garden
London
WC2H 9JQ
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The office:
+44 (0) 2038368926
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All things creative:
Tor | CEO | tor@redherringstory.com
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Everything else:
Samia | COO | sam@redherringstory.com
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PR:
Holly | holly@percywarren.com