Netflix has announced the start of production on ‘Operação TAP’ (‘Operation TAP’), its first feature film produced in Portugal. The project is directed by João Nuno Pinto (‘Mosquito’, ’18 Holes to Paradise’) and produced by SPi, part of the SP Televisão Group, as they have claimed in different statements.

The Portuguese production company previously worked with Netflix on ‘Glória’, the platform’s first Portuguese original series. Unlike that series, ‘Operation TAP’ marks Netflix’s first feature film produced in the country. Production is now underway, with a screenplay by Pedro Lopes, Marina Preguiça Ribeiro and Miguel Rico.

The film stars Rui Pedro Silva (‘Remains of the Wind’, ‘Maria Vitória’), Afonso Pimentel (‘Memories of Prison’, ‘Turn of the Tide’) and Victoria Guerra (‘Impossible Love’, ‘Glória’). It is loosely based on the hijacking of a TAP flight in 1980, carried out by a 16-year-old boy who took control of a plane bound for Madrid and demanded $10 million.

Set against the backdrop of the 1980s, the story combines adventure, tension and emotion. What begins as a night of fear and uncertainty for the passengers and crew gradually develops into an unexpected story of empathy and humanity between the young hijacker and his hostages.

“It is with great satisfaction that we continue our collaboration with Netflix on a project that reflects our ambition to establish Portuguese-language fiction as a distinctive voice on the international scene. At SPi, we believe that telling good stories means creating relevant narratives capable of establishing an emotional connection with the audience. We seek to combine originality and artistic ambition with high-quality productions that reflect our identity as storytellers”, comments Pedro Lopes, Chief Creative and Strategy Officer at SPi.

“’Operation TAP’ reflects this vision. Set against the backdrop of a country emerging from a revolution, we’ve crafted an intense, epic and deeply moving story about a young man who makes the extreme decision to hijack a plane. What could have ended in a bloodbath turns into a powerful reflection on the Portuguese character, in which empathy ultimately prevails over violence”, he adds.

Synopsis

In 1980, an armed teenager hijacks a plane bound for Madrid and demands $10 million, leaving its passengers and crew facing a night of tension and uncertainty. However, what initially appears to be a threat of violence turns into an unexpected story of empathy and humanity between the young hijacker and the people he is holding hostage.