Television3 min readMar 26, 2026

Heaven's Gate: New Series Promises to Captivate the World with Mystery and Colonial Drama

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Global Constellation backs 'Heaven's Gate', a Dutch-Malaysian co-production exploring family secrets and colonial past in Indonesia.

OMNI
OMNI
#series#drama#Indonesia#colonial#co-production
International sales and financing outfit Global Constellation has boarded the five-episode limited series 'Heaven's Gate' for global sales, presenting the series to international buyers for the first time at Series Mania.

Set across dual timelines in 1942 and the mid-1990s, the series follows Saskia, who travels to Indonesia with her teenage daughter, Alex, after inheriting a long-abandoned plantation called Heaven's Gate.

This practical decision soon evolves into a haunting journey into the buried secrets of her family's colonial history.
Saskia relives the life of Anisa, a Javanese woman in 1942, entangled in a love triangle with plantation owner Jan Stokman and his wife, Marie.

As Saskia becomes consumed by these visions, Alex fears for her mother's sanity and struggles to keep her grounded.

Determined to uncover the plantation's secrets, Saskia risks losing herself entirely to its haunting history.
The show, which is the first official Netherlands-Malaysia television co-production, is directed by Jim Taihuttu ('The East', 'Hardcore Never Dies', 'Wolf') and Lisette Donkersloot ('Sihame').

It is written by Jim Taihuttu together with Randy Oost ('Mocro Maffia', 'Suga: Ride or Die'), Amira Duynhouwer ('Nemesis', 'Mocro Maffia') and Victor D. Ponten ('Mocro Maffia', 'Rabat').

Production is underway in Malaysia with delivery scheduled for early 2027.
The cast includes Denise Aznam ('The East', 'Ninja Nanny'), Anneke Sluiters ('Heresy'), Gijs Naber ('The Night Manager', 'The Story of My Wife'), Bront Palarae ('Ghost in the Cell', 'Satan's Slaves', 'Rajah') and Abimana Aryasatya ('The Night Comes for Us', 'The Big 4').

Production is by New Amsterdam Film Company, co-produced by Kinovisuals, and commissioned by Netherlands Public Broadcasters NPO and NTR.

The production is supported by the Netherlands Film Production Incentive, the National Public Broadcasting Fund (NPO Fund), and the Film in Malaysia Incentive (FIMI), administered by Perbadanan Kemajuan Filem Nasional Malaysia (FINAS).
Ulrike Schröder, managing director of TV at Global Constellation, said: "'Heaven’s Gate’ brings a distinctive international perspective, weaving historical and colonial narratives that resonate with global audiences and reflects the storytelling that Global Constellation champions".

Sander Verdonk, producer and founder of New Amsterdam Film Company, added: "Securing Global Constellation for international sales is a testament to the universal appeal of ‘Heaven’s Gate.’ This series defines our ambition to reach broad audiences with high-end, auteur-driven content".

The series joins Global Constellation's expanding and diverse TV and film slate including the fantasy drama series 'All Heroes Are Bastards' and the International Emmy Award-winning animated docuseries 'On Fritzi’s Trace – What Was It Like in the GDR?'.