Sartaj Singh
Created by Anne Bjørnstad and Eilif Skodvin, ‘Billionaire Island’ or ‘Milliardærøya,’ transports us to the island of Brima in Norway, where a power struggle ensues between two of the largest salmon businesses, Marlax and Meyer Fjordbruk. The former, headed by the icy Julie, is home to varying shades of eccentric and incompetent characters living under her shadow. They seek to take over Meyer Fjordbruk with a combination of buyouts and unscrupulous PR stunts to become the largest salmon business in the world. The unique scenery surrounding the Nordic Netflix drama is a breath of fresh air, with modern aesthetics seamlessly merging with marshy archipelagoes and ancient coasts.
Billionaire Island Filming Locations
Filming for Netflix’s ‘Billionaire Island’ is carried out on the island of Frøya, Norway. Earlier titled ‘Lakseøya,’ principal photography for the debut season of the show began in Fall 2023 and was wrapped up by November 22, 2023. The cast and crew seemed to cherish the time they spent on set, and the South Korean artists who danced in the show found their performance hilarious.
Frøya, Norway.
The municipality and island of Frøya, in the Trøndelag county of Norway, stands in for the fictional island of Brima in ‘Billionaire Island.’ As seen in the show’s stunning landscape shots, Frøya is home to numerous small islands, windswept marshes, and idyllic fishing villages. Despite having a population of only around 5,000 people, the island’s fishing industry is thriving, particularly in salmon farming. Salmon is one of the country’s biggest exports, and the tension between traditional fishing methods and large-scale aquaculture, a theme touched upon in Billionaire Island, is rooted in Frøya’s reality. This interplay between industry and nature, with modern fish farms nestled against Norway’s coastal beauty, enriches the show’s contrasting visual gallery.
Frøya’s stunning scenery not only grounds the plot in realism but also provides striking visuals that complement the series’ themes of wealth, power, and corporate competition. The rugged coastlines, endless horizons, and intimate fishing communities lend an air of exclusivity to the fictional island of Brima, making Frøya an inspired choice for filming. The island is named after the most renowned Norse goddess, Freyja, or her brother, Freyr. Besides the main island, the municipality of Frøya includes thousands of islands within its area and is connected to the neighboring island of Hitra and mainland Norway through the 3.3-mile-long undersea Frøya Tunnel.
The island is home to historic landmarks and a rich diversity of wild and marine life. Its coastal environment, with its cliffs and marshes, provides a perfect habitat for several seabird species of puffins, kittiwakes, and sea eagles. The region also serves as the ideal location to observe the enchanting spectacle of the aurora borealis. The island and its picturesque surrounding expanse are hidden gems as filming locations and have served as the backdrops for movies like ‘Everybody Hates Johan’ and ‘Penthouse.’
Read More: Billionaire Island: Is the Netflix Show Inspired By a True Story?
