The Van der Valk Kidnapping’

Forty-four years after the shocking real-life abduction of hotel matriarch Toos van der Valk gripped the Netherlands, Netflix is bringing the true story to the screen. Starring Lies Visschedijk and Frank Lammers, the new limited series Toos: The Van der Valk Kidnapping delves into the terrifying 21-day ordeal. Ahead of its global release on November 26, 2026, here is everything we know so far about this highly anticipated Dutch drama.

Toos: The Van der Valk Kidnapping is an upcoming Dutch Netflix Original limited series created by directors Inti Calfat and Dirk Verheye, and written by Maaik Krijgsman and Carl Joos. Joos and Krijgsman wrote the series, and Submarine produced it.

When is Toos: The Van der Valk Kidnapping released on Netflix?

Netflix has confirmed that Toos: The Van der Valk Kidnapping will be released on November 26, 2026.

The release date is rather significant, as it marks the 44th anniversary of the kidnapping.

What is the plot of Toos: The Van der Valk Kidnapping?

Netflix has released a detailed synopsis for the series:

Toos van der Valk has it all: wealth, prestige, a close-knit family, and the unconditional love of her husband, Gerrit. Together, they run the largest hotel empire in the Netherlands. The Van der Valk Family is a true self-made family business dynasty, with every family member playing a part in the company’s success. But on November 26, 1982, tragedy struck: Toos became the victim of one of the most notorious kidnappings in Dutch history. What follows is a terrifying twenty-day ordeal in which the Van der Valk family is consumed by despair. While Gerrit and the children frantically search for their wife, mother, and grandmother, police officer Cor Mulder moves into Hotel Nuland, where the family is staying during the crisis. Undercover as ‘nephew Cor’, he tries to track down the kidnappers while keeping the family together,  a family slowly buckling under immense pressure. Meanwhile, Toos must fight with everything she has to stay alive.

The kidnapping of Toos grips the entire nation. The press follows every detail closely, the government fears setting a precedent if the family pays the ransom, and the kidnappers’ demands grow more impossible by the day. What follows is a nerve-racking twenty-day race to save Toos.

Who are the cast members of Toos: The Van der Valk Kidnapping?

Picture: Lies Visschedijk in Nemesis

Lies Visschedijk stars as Toos van der Valk. She is best known for films such as Briefgeheim, Soof, The Judgment, and Hemel op Aarde. She has also starred in the Disney+ series Nemesis. This will be the actress’s first Netflix project.

Reflecting on the weight of the true story, lead actress Lies Visschedijk noted:

What struck me most about Toos is her extraordinary resilience and dignity under the most terrifying circumstances. That is precisely why it felt like such a profound responsibility to portray her story with great care and respect.

Picture: Frank Lammers in Ferry (right)

Frank Lammers stars as Gerrit van der Valk. The actor has already starred in several Netflix projects, such as the Ferry franchise, 3 seasons of Undercover, and the action-thriller film The Takeover. The actor also starred in D-Railed, Nachtrit, and the series Blind Sherlock.

The rest of the cast is as follows:

• Gijs Blom as Joep van den Nieuwenhuijzen
• Joy Verberk as Marijke van der Valk
• Richelle Plantinga as Carlita van der Valk
• Jim Deddes as Harry Heinrichs
• Juda Goslinga as Detective Cor Mulder
• Ronald Kalter
• Mo Braun
• Walt Klink
• Victor Löw
• Gijs Blom
• Ruben Brinkman
• Fabrizio Rongione
• Federico Calistri
• Alessio Gallo

Reflecting on the new adaptation, the Van der Valk family noted:

Even after all these years, the kidnapping remains a deeply sensitive chapter in our lives. It is remarkable to see attention being brought to it again now, and to have our story brought to life so compellingly by such a strong cast.

Are you going to be watching Toos: The Van der Valk Kidnapping on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!