Netflix working on movie of Apple Store hostage situation in Amsterdam
Netflix is making a movie about the hostage situation in an Apple Store in the heart of Amsterdam in February 2022. The “gripping thriller” will switch back and forth between the perspectives of key characters. “A mosaic-style film that focuses on life-threatening situations and the choices made,” Netflix announced.
The film was written by Simon de Waal and is produced by Horizon Film. Filming will start soon under director Bobby Boermans, with a 2025 release date. The leading roles in the movie will be played by Soufiane Moussouli, Marcel Hensema, Loes Haverkort, Louis Talpe, and Emmanuel Ohene Boafo.
“The hostage situation in the Apple Store marks a unique event in the Netherlands and inspired me and screenwriter Simon de Waal to join forces again. With this film, we strive for a story that is both sincere and compelling and gives the audience a realistic picture of the experiences of those involved during the five-hour hostage situation,” De Boer said.
On 22 February 2022, a 27-year-old armed Dutchman took a Bulgarian man hostage in the Apple Store on Leidseplein and held him at gunpoint for about five hours. Around 70 other people were also trapped in the store. The man shot at the police and threatened to blow himself up if the authorities did not provide 200 million euros in cryptocurrency and a safe exit from the building for him.
The hostage situation eventually came to an end when the Bulgarian man managed to free himself and run out of the store. The hostage taker gave chase, and a police officer hit him with his car. The hostage taker died of his injuries in hospital a day later.
Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema awarded Hero’s Pins to the man held at gunpoint and others involved, including the police officer who ended the hostage situation. He won’t be prosecuted, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) decided after the investigation. The police officer's actions were justified, and he was not suspected of any criminal charges, the prosecutor concluded.
