Region Nordic Showbiz Latest News and Updates

Robert Kirkman’s Skybound Entertainment has set plans to partner with entertainment company 5th Planet Games (5PG) to acquire the Nordic production company Sagafilm EHF (Stella Blómkvist, The Minister).

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Viaplay‘s streaming service — specializing in award-winning Scandinavian series and films — is now available as an add-on subscription on Amazon‘s Prime Video Channels in the United States. Starting Wednesday, Prime members in the U.S.

Annika Pham One of the Nordic region’s biggest providers of premium series, Copenhagen-based REinvent International Sales, will make a splash at this week’s Canneseries festival and MipTV market. For the second consecutive year, the sales, financing and packaging banner has two titles in competition: the Danish drama thriller “Dark Horse”, due to world premiere in the main competition, and the short form Swedish dramedy entry “Painkiller”, which initially bowed at the Göteborg Film Festival. “Last year we had the Norwegian political drama “Power Play” which won best series, and the Swedish romantic dramedy “Out of Touch” in the short form section.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Prime Video is diving into genre in the Nordics with a new slate of shows, including the Swedish mystery crime series “Blind Spot” starring Ida Engvoll (“Love & Anarchy”) and Pål Sverre Hagen (“Furia”), and Henrik Georgsson (“The Bridge“)’s dystopian thriller “VAKA,” starring Emmy-award nominated Jonas Karlsson and Aliette Opheim. Based on Anne Holt’s best-selling novel “1222” which revolves around the character of Hanne Wilhelmsen, a sharp and dark-minded police officer. The series, penned by celebrated author Sara Heldt (“Sandhamn Murders”) together with Erik Skjoldberg (“Occupied”), follows Hanne who finds herself sheltered in an isolated mountain hotel after a train crash and starts investigating on mysterious murders even though she’s been temporarily suspended from the police.

The Göteborg Film Festival has unveiled the competition titles selected for its 47th edition, which runs from January 26 to February 4. (Scroll down for the full list).

Annika Pham In an exclusive sneak-peek of its 2024 program, Cia Edström, head of the Göteborg Film Festival’s leading drama showcase TV Drama Vision, has unveiled that British actress Sarah Lancashire will be one of the 50-plus speakers due on-stage. The star of BBC’s “Happy Valley,” Max’s “Julia” and Netflix’s forthcoming “Black Doves” will be joining Lars Blomgren, head of international at Media Res (“Scenes from a Marriage”) in a fireside chat where Lancashire will discuss her expanding career on both sides of the camera and new shingle Via Pictures.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large The comedy “Colin from Accounts” tends to surprise viewers who tune in expecting one thing, and realizing it’s something else altogether. It’s a romantic comedy with a most unusual name (read on if you want to find out who “Colin” actually is) and has become a phenomenon first in Australia, then on the BBC in the U.K., followed by the Nordic region and now in the U.S. via Paramount+, where it premiered earlier this month.

Christopher Vourlias At its latest edition, which takes place parallel to the Helsinki Intl. Film Festival — Love & Anarchy, the Finnish Film Affair will again host its well-received Nordic Flair training program, an initiative designed to offer career development for film professionals from across the Nordic region. After a 2022 edition that focused on sales agents, distributors, buyers and broadcast commissioners, this year’s event will host actors working in one or more of the Nordic countries.

SF Studios has hired Iréne Lindblad as its new CEO.

Ellise Shafer SF Studios has named Iréne Lindblad its new CEO, effective Oct. 16. Lindblad will take over from acting CEO Jan Bernhardsson, who will return to his role as chairman of the Swedish production and distribution company’s board.

Amber Dowling The Nordic region’s largest streamer, Viaplay, has debuted in Canada, continuing its expansion into North America after landing in the U.S. on Feb. 22. The direct-to-consumer platform touts itself as the premiere platform for Nordic Noir, the term used to describe the growing subgenre of Scandinavian crime dramas, thrillers, dark comedies and YA offerings. Available in every Nordic and Baltic country, Viaplay has been gaining ground over the past several months, expanding across Europe, U.K. and Australia. In February, it reported an 83% rise year-over-year in streaming subscribers, a number that is expected to swell with the North American launches.

Nordic programmer Viaplay has launched a streaming service in the U.S., delivering subscribers thousands of hours of programming for $5.99 a month.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Blue Fox has acquired the U.S. distribution rights for the family adventure movie “School of Magical Animals” from sales agency Global Screen, which has also sold the film’s sequel to several territories. “School of Magical Animals” will be released with 300 copies in the U.S. on March 24 nationwide. James Huntsman of Blue Fox said: “There is a strong appetite for high quality live action family movies and ‘The School of Magical Animals’ delivers on all fronts.” Global Screen has sold the sequel, “School of Magical Animals 2,” which was the most successful local film at the German box office last year with a $21 million gross, to Spain (Flins & Piniculas), Poland (Stowarzyszenie Nowe Horyzonty), Denmark (Another World Entertainment), Hungary (ADS Service), CIS and the Baltic States (Investacommerce), and has closed a worldwide airline deal. It will have its market premiere at Berlin’s European Film Market on Saturday.

The Göteborg Film Festival’s series-focused, industry sidebar TV Drama Vision returned this week with two days of talks and panels centered on series production in Europe and the Nordic region.

The Göteborg Film Festival has unveiled the competition titles selected for its 46th edition, which runs from January 27 – February 5. (Scroll down for the full list).

Christopher Vourlias Five years ago, the Finnish Film Affair launched the first edition of its Nordic Flair training program, an initiative designed to offer career development for film professionals from across the Nordic region that takes place parallel to the Helsinki International Film Festival — Love & Anarchy. This year’s event focuses on sales agents, distributors, buyers and broadcast commissioners working in one or more of the Nordic countries and is designed to offer participants the tools to innovate new sales and distribution models, scout emerging Nordic filmmaking talent and lead their professional teams through challenging times. “There are many Nordic talents working internationally behind the scenes in the business of film, and with the focus this year, we want to highlight that,” says Finnish Film Affair director Maria Pirkklainen, noting that “training opportunities have been scarce for this group in general.”

media reports. Jonathan Young, VP of original programming and production at HBO Max for Europe, Middle East and Africa; Christian Wikander, VP of original programming for the Nordic region; and Annelies Sitvast, who oversees unscripted original programming were all let go as part of the conglomerate’s latest consolidation move.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorProduction companies ConradFilm and Bavaria Fiction are following their German ratings and international sales hit “Dark Woods” with new high-octane police drama franchise “Sonderlage,” which has been ordered by German broadcaster RTL.Crime drama “Dark Woods” was the most-watched program on German broadcaster ARD’s streaming service in 2020, and was sold last year to numerous territories, including North America, the U.K., France, Spain, the Nordic region, Japan and India.Filming of the first two 90-minute “Sonderlage” films has just begun in Hamburg and Berlin. Inspired by true events, “Sonderlage” (a working title whose literal translation is “special situation”) focuses on police work in exceptional situations such as terrorist attacks, hostage taking and high-scale extortion.

Nordisk Film Production has a new CEO in the shape of Katrine Vogelsang, the Head of Fiction at TV2. She will form a management unit with Henrik Zein, who is stepping over from chief exec position to become COO.

After 25 years, Toronto International Film Festival Senior Programmer Steve Gravestock has decided to retire at the end of 2022.

EXCLUSIVE: Streamer Viaplay is once again looking beyond Scandi Noir by greenlighting a feature about a woman in two timelines, experiencing a messy divorce and difficult teenage years.

Christopher Vourlias The Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival is already recognized as one of the most influential industry showcases in the Baltic and Nordic regions. But the organizing team of the festival, which celebrated its 25th anniversary last year, are keen to point out that the popular event isn’t just a one-off affair.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorMunich-based Global Screen has acquired family entertainment film “School of Magical Animals 2” for worldwide distribution. A first teaser will be presented at the Cannes Market for the project, which has a budget of more than $13 million.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentOne of Scandinavia’s leading film distributors, Scanbox Entertainment is changing ownership with a new board including CEO Thor Sigurjonsson. The company was bought back from Scanbox Chairman Joni Sighvatsson. New owners include COO Kim William Beich, commercial director Torben Thorup Jorgensen, and producer Chris Briggs.

Manori Ravindran International EditorHBO Max is continuing a steady roll-out in Europe with its second wave of countries.The WarnerMedia-owned streaming service is launching in an additional 15 nations on March 8, this time targeting Central and Eastern Europe. This covers Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia.Christina Sulebakk, general manager for HBO Max EMEA, says it has been a “cautious choice” to get the markets launched in Europe, where the HBO Max roll-out began in earnest in October with launches in the Nordics (Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland) as well as Spain and Andorra.

WarnerMedia Signs Nordic Theatrical Boss

Naman Ramachandran BritBox, the streaming service operated by ITV and the BBC, is expanding across the Nordic regions via a distribution partnership with C More.The service will be available from early 2022 in Sweden, Finland and Denmark from C More and in Norway from TV2. The programming will be in English, with both English and local language subtitles available in each country.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorMunich-based sales agency Global Screen has sold crime drama “Dark Woods” to streaming service Walter Presents for the U.K., where it’ll be shown on Channel 4’s All 4 platform, and across the Nordic Region, via C More.The drama, which was produced by ConradFilm and Bavaria Fiction on behalf of NDR and ARD Degeto for Das Erste, was the most-watched show on ARD’s catch-up service in Germany this year, and was the German TV Award winner.Julia Weber,

EXCLUSIVE: John Wells Productions has optioned the rights to Swedish author Tove Alsterdal’s three-book crime series The High Coast for series adaptation. A writer is not yet attached.

Entertainment One (eOne) is to strengthen its relationship with Nordic networks as the studio reveals plans for a “Swedish Scandi-noir” production in the region.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorJan Mojto’s Munich-based sales and production powerhouse Beta Film, whose Mipcom slate includes “Sisi” and “La Fortuna,” has closed pre-sales across the Nordic Region and in the Netherlands’ for the PBS-ITV period drama series “Hotel Portofino.” The British show, created and written by Matt Baker, stars Natascha McElhone, whose credits include “Ronin,” “Californication” and “Designated Survivor.”“Hotel Portofino” has been acquired by DR for Denmark,

Alexander Durie Two internationally-acclaimed documentaries from the Nordic region – “Flee” and “Gunda” – are among the five films nominated for a Nordic Council Film Prize.This is the most prestigious film award in the Nordic region, celebrating films with unique artistic visions that actively engage with Nordic culture. It’s the eighteenth year the Nordic Council Film Prize is awarded, and the winner will be announced on Nov.

EXCLUSIVE: Los Angeles and Oslo-based management outfit Inner Voice Artists has tied up with Immaterial Agents, one of the leading literary agencies in the Nordic region, for a partnership that will see them co-rep book rights for film and TV adaptations.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentNENT Group, the Nordic region’s leading streaming company, has ordered an English-language original biopic series about Börje Salming, one of Sweden’s biggest ice hockey stars. The series is created and directed by Amir Chamdin, whose latest show, “Partisan,” won the top prize at Canneseries in 2020.

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentJan Mojto’s Munich-based production-distribution company Beta Film has boarded Nordic suspense thriller “Helsinki Syndrome,” the first common project with Finland’s Fisher King since Beta took a majority stake in the leading Finnish production company in 2019.Coinciding with the Fisher King deal, Beta launched the Sweden-based Beta Nordic Studios (BNS), a umbrella hub grouping its production interests in the Nordic region.BNS aims to leverage Beta

Annika Pham Due to COVID-19 cinema lockdowns or restrictions, box office in the Nordic region plummeted in 2020 year-on-year by 64% in Sweden, 57.6% in Iceland, 57% in Norway, 54% in Finland, and 47% in Denmark.The dearth of new U.S .tentpoles, combined with strong domestic titles such as “Another Round,” allowed homegrown movies to punch all-time record market shares in Denmark (50.4%), Finland (41.1%) and Norway (35.6%).The biggest U.S.