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Locarno Bad Ass Action Comedy ‘Cop Secret’ Swooped on by Alief (EXCLUSIVE)

Alief, the London-based sales agent and production outfit, has swooped on bad ass action comedy “Cop Secret” in the build up to the movie’s world premiere at August’s Locarno Film Festival.

Brett Walker, Alief president, will introduce the propulsive, high testosterone movie to buyers at Locarno Pro, the Swiss festival’s robust industry program, where it is sure to get tongues wagging.

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While big fests are embracing genre, few selections to date offer such full-on entertainment as “Cop Secret,” which plays, moreover, in main competition. That action comes often tongue-in-cheek as Icelandic director Hannes Þór Halldórsson recasts an ‘80s and ‘90s buddy cop action movie model in Icelandic capital Reykjavík – in an opening sequence, the camera wings “Miami Vice” style over surprisingly blue waters toward the Icelandic capital’s (limited number of) high rises as an orchestra thunders in tense excitement on the soundtrack.

“Cop Secret” follows Bussi, a tough “supercop” played by Audunn Blöndal (“The Garden”) who shoots people and destroys stuff, killing a stork at the city pond in front of pre-schoolers and trashing the amusement park.

But when Bussi is assigned a new partner – the suave, cultured and self-declaredly pan-sexual Hordur Bess, played by “Black’s Game’s” Egill Einarsson – he begins to lose his cool, fighting an inner struggle while investigating a string of bank robberies where nothing seems to have been stolen.

Boasting a villain who’s so psychopathic he has to be restrained from killing him own heist team, “Cop Secret” marks the feature film directorial debut of Icelandic professional soccer goalkeeper Halldórsson, best known for saving a penalty kick by Lionel Messi in a 2018 soccer World Cup match between Iceland and Argentina.

The film is written by Nína Petersen, Sverrir Thór Sverrison, and Halldórsson and produced by Lilja Ósk Snorradóttir (“Echo”) for Iceland’s Pegasus Pictures, which has provided production services on Sky’s “Fortitude” and HBO’s “Succession.”

“Cop Secret” also stars Steinunn Ólína Thorsteinsdóttir (“The Garden”), Vivian Ólafsdóttir (“Echo”), Sverrir Thór Sverrisson (“A White, White Day”), and Björn Hlynur Haraldsson, a lead character in A24’s “Lamb” and Netflix’s “Eurovision Song Contest” and “The Witcher.”

“‘Cop Secret’ is such a rare film, it’s not usual to find a film that delivers such genuine tears of laughter. It’s a movie for all those fans of ‘90s and the noughties’ action films with a generous topping of that ‘Die Hard’ spirit. A brilliant debut! “ said Walker.

Miguel Govea, Alief head of production and distribution, added: “‘Cop Secret’ is an outstanding left-of-center action film, with a tongue-firmly-planted-in-cheek heart that will appeal to a broad audience looking for a fun time at the movies.”

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