Action thriller The Nation Gambit (Norwegian title: En nasjon i sjakk) has been greenlit by SF Studios and will be directed by Jens Lien based on a script by Rakel Kraft Biørnstad and Christopher Grøndahl. The feature film is an adaptation of Johan Høst’s successful crime novel of the same name.

In this story, Norway’s prime minister is kidnapped and disappears without a trace. The kidnapper makes only one demand; the politicians in power must play a game of chess over the prime minister’s life. The chess pieces represent people who work for the state or as leaders in society. If the politicians win the game, the prime minister will live, but every time the terrorist takes a piece, a person must pay with their life. The politicians and their appointed rescue team, the Delta Squad, face an impossible dilemma: Can they sacrifice others in an attempt to save the prime minister? With only 48 hours to win the game and save the prime minister, they have no choice but to play, but with every move they make, death comes closer. And with no leads to go on, could sacrificing a first chess piece give them a clue to find the terrorist?

The Nation’s Gambit will be Lien’s return to feature films after 10 years of directing TV series, such as the HBO hit series Beforeigners.

“The Nation’s Gambit has a remarkably original plot. I look forward to creating a gripping action film that showcases how fragile our democracy is when challenged by cynical and ruthless forces. The strong concept developed by Stig and Stein Studio provides me with the foundation to make a spectacular action film unlike anything seen in Norway”, says Jens Lien.

“This is a dream project for us at SF Studios! The Nation’s Gambit will without a doubt be a great movie, with high speed, action, and excitement. When we read the book two years ago, it was clear to us that the concept and the intense plot would make a fantastic feature film for the big screen. With Jens Lien in the director’s chair, the audience will be served world-class entertainment, and we cannot be happier to be a part of this journey”, says Silje Glimsdal, Senior Acquisition Manager at SF Studios.

Planned for a theatrical release during the autumn 2025, the film is produced by Norwegian production company Stig og Stein Studio, with SF Studios and Film i Väst as co-producers. SF Studios will distribute the film in the Nordics, while REinvent handles international sales.

Action thriller The Nation’s Gambit is about to mark Norwegian director Jens Lien’s comeback to feature films after 10 years of directing TV series, including the HBO hit series Beforeigners.

The film is an adaptation of Johan Høst’s bestselling debut novel Delta: En nasjon i sjakk. In this story, the Prime Minister of Norway is kidnapped by a terrorist making a single demand: that the politicians in power join in on a game of chess over the Prime Minister’s life. With each chess piece representing various state employees and leaders of society, the Prime Minister will survive if the politicians win – but every piece lost to the terrorist means the loss of a human life. The politicians and their appointed rescue team, the Delta Squad, are faced with an impossible dilemma with only 24 hours to save the prime minister.

“I have long been a fan of Jens Lien, and the fact that he is going to make a film of my book is a surreal out-of-body experience for me,” Høst says.

The Nation’s Gambit is produced by the Norwegian production company Stig og Stein Studio with producers Stig Hjerkinn Haug, Fredrik Støbakk and Tale Bryn Teigene. SF Studios will distribute the film in the Nordics, while Reinvent Studios handles international sales.