Sweden Showbiz Latest News and Updates

EXCLUSIVE: William Spetz, writer, creator and star of the critically acclaimed Swedish series Tore, has signed with TFC Management.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 is happening later this year, and several performers have been announced as official contestants!

Steven J. Horowitz Senior Music Writer When Lykke Li went into the studio to record her haunting, ethereal version of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire,” she didn’t have a fixed agenda in place. “To be honest, the only version I’ve ever heard in my whole life is the Johnny Cash version, so I had no real history,” she says of the cover, premiering exclusively on Variety. “I just went into it pretty blank.

EXCLUSIVE: Swedish filmmaker Tomas Alfredson, now best known as the director behind beautiful, taut features like Let the Right One In and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, wrote to Swedish screen legend Ingmar Bergman sometime in the early 2000s with an idea. Bergman’s response was characteristically colorful. 

Ann-Margret is living life in the fast lane.The “Bye Bye Birdie” and “Viva Las Vegas” actress was recently at the Women’s Image Network’s 25th Women’s Image Awards in Beverly Hills, where she revealed one thing that keeps her young — a Harley-Davidson.“It’s lavender, and it’s got white daisies all over it,” the star gushed to People magazine. “There [are] flowers on the back fender and the front fender. … I love speed.

Avatar: The Last Airbender was the star of the show on Netflix last week.

The results are in, and Netflix‘s Avatar: The Last Airbender seems to be a hit.

Annika Pham One of Banijay’s scripted centrepieces at the London TV Screenings, the Swedish crime drama “Fallen” (“Sanningen”), sees the first reunion of star actor Sofia Helin, writer Camilla Ahlgren, and Stockholm-based Filmlance International since the multi-season hit crime show “The Bridge” (2011-2018). Their collaboration has paid off again as “Fallen” has wooed a first batch of global sellers – including MHz Choice for the U.S.

It’s been 20 years since Simon Cowell set out on a mission to put together his own popular version of The Three Tenors and “operatic boy band” Il Divo were the result. His team at what was then Syco Music scoured music halls around the world before bringing together California native David Miller, Frenchman Sébastien Izambard, Urs Bühler from Sweden, and the late Carlos Marin, from Spain. As the original Il Divo, the foursome pioneered a new classical-meets-pop sound, earning a No1 in the UK charts with their first release, followed by a further 30 million album sales worldwide.

CoComelon outfit Moonbug Entertainment is pushing deeper into Europe by striking a deal with Allente in the Nordics.

Michael Sheen's journey from theatre to Hollywood and back to his Welsh roots has made the star a household name.The 55 year old actor has made waves in the entertainment industry, leaving his mark on stage, television, and the big screen. After starting his career in theatre, Michael quickly rose to prominence with captivating performances in various productions. His portrayal of iconic figures like Tony Blair, David Frost, and Brian Clough showcased his versatility and talent.

The Inside Out 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival on Monday revealed 11 new recipients for its annual RE:Focus Fund, celebrating its fifth year of supporting filmmakers identifying as women, non-binary and/or trans. 

An entire British boy band tragically lost their lives when their car plunged into a canal in Stockholm. Viola Beach, who'd played at Reading and Leeds Festivals and had airtime on Radio 1, were inside a black Nissan Qashqai which drove off a bridge and landed in a Stockholm canal, 80ft below.The promising indie-rock group's members from Warrington, Cheshire – singer Kris Leonard, guitarist River Reeves, bass player Tomas Lowe and drummer Jack Dakin – as well as their manager, Craig Tarry, who was in the car with the band, all died in the horrifying accident in February 2016.Their vehicle broke through the barriers of a bridge over a canal in Stockholm's Sodertalje district and plunged into the water in the early hours of the morning.The bridge had been opened to let ships pass through, and was in the process of closing when the car went through the barriers.

Following his claustrophobic debut “The Guilty” (remade, to lesser effect, by Antoine Fuqua), Swedish filmmaker Gustav Möller returns with a second feature that may expand its call sheet but is still confined in its approach to characters and settings. Trading out an emergency service center for a prison, “Sons” narrows in on a single prison guard and her attempts to exert control over a prisoner with whom she has a history with.

Eurovision organizers are swiftly “scrutinizing” the lyrics of Israel‘s 2024 entry amidst question marks over their political nature.

Eurovision Song Contest if the organisers attempt to censor their entry.Earlier this month, Israel selected the 20-year-old Eden Golan as their entry for this year’s contest. Her song is titled ‘October Rain’, and, as first reported by Israel Hayom (via BBC), the lyrics appear to contain references to the victims of Hamas’ October 7 attacks.The words to the song were leaked to the media earlier this week, and are said to include the line: “They were all good children, each one of them”.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent In a milestone move, Sony Pictures Television has unveiled “La Academia,” its first Spanish-language scripted series filmed in Spain for Prime Video and 3Cat. “La Academia” is produced for Sony by Brutal Media, commissioned out of Sony Pictures Television’s international production group.

Imagine a movie akin to a sad David Bowie song about an astronaut drifting alone into the dark abyss of space, contemplating his life, his lost love, his past, and an uncertain, perhaps soon-to-be-shortly doomed future. Sing the wistfully estranged and reflective “Space Odyssey” tune and the lamenting iconic line, “Tell my wife I love her very much, she knows!” That’s Swedish filmmaker Johan Renck’s “Spaceman” in a nutshell, which makes for possibly the weirdest, most existentially lonely movie Adam Sandler has ever starred in.

Alex Ritman French TV giant Banijay is losing its chief commercial officer. The company confirmed to Variety that Owain Walbyoff is stepping down from his role, adding that the London-based exec — who was formerly at Endemol Shine Group and was hired in August 2020 following Banijay’s $2.2 billion acquisition — would be leaving on Feb. 29.

Naman Ramachandran Ameen Sayani, the doyen of Indian radio, died on Tuesday in Mumbai following a heart attack. He was 91. The news was confirmed by his son Rajil Sayani.

Marta Balaga Oscar-winning writer Simon Beaufoy – behind “Slumdog Millionaire,” “127 Hours” or “The Full Monty” – has joined “S.O.L.” The six-episode thriller, presented at Berlinale’s Co-Pro Series and developed with TV4, is produced by Warp Films (UK) and Rainy Days (Sweden). It was created by Ruth McCance. Diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer, she died in December, aged 53.

Swedish House Mafia have announced a huge six-week residency at the famed Ushuaïa venue in Ibiza later this year.The trio of Axwell, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso took to social media this past weekend to announce the residency, their first in Ibiza in over a decade. Per their post, they will perform for six consecutive Sundays at Ushuaïa between July and August.The full line-up of supporting acts have yet to be announced.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor The Berlin Film Festival hosted the 10 young European actors selected for the Shooting Stars program, run by European Film Promotion, at a gala event Monday. The presentation of the Shooting Stars took place prior to the screening of Claire Burger’s “Langue Étrangère,” which plays in competition.

Zara Larsson has shared her experiences winning a Swedish talent show aged 10.In a new interview with The Guardian, Larsson opened up about winning Talang as a young child, and its impact on her music career. Talang is part of the popular Got Talent series, and Larsson won with her rendition of Celine Dion‘s ‘My Heart Will Go On’.“Back then, I never really had any worries or doubts about being successful, because I knew deep in my soul that I was destined to be an entertainer, which is why I entered Talang,” Larsson shared. “The only thing I was worried about was the speed with which I might get that success.“After the show, I presumed it would be like: boom! I’m going to get signed, I’m going to be a superstar! But nothing happened for four years.“I found that very stressful, and worried my career might be over.

Ed Meza @edmezavar Georgian-Swedish director Levan Akin is again winning over audiences with his latest film, “Crossing,” which opened the Berlin Film Festival’s Panorama section. The touching drama is about retired teacher Lia (Mzia Arabuli), who sets off with a young companion, Achi (Lucas Kankava), on a journey from the Georgian city of Batumi to Turkey, where she hopes to find her long lost niece in Istanbul. Pic follows Akin’s acclaimed 2019 film “And Then We Danced.” It was while researching that film in Georgia that he heard a story about a grandfather who was very supportive of his trans grandchild.

EXCLUSIVE: Urban Sales has unveiled key deals for Mascha Halberstad’s CGI animation Fox And Hare Save The Forest ahead of its world premiere in the Berlin Film Festival’s young audience-focused Generation Kplus sidebar this weekend.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Focus Features has bought international rights to Brady Corbet‘s “The Brutalist,” starring Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce and Joe Alwyn, Variety has learned. Corbet, who sits on the Berlinale jury, penned the film with Mona Fastvold (“The World to Come”), a Swedish filmmaker who is also his wife. The film charts 30 years in the lives of visionary architect László Toth and his wife, Erzsébet, who flee post-war Europe in 1947 and witness the birth of modern America.

It’s hard to believe it’s almost 30 years since iconic British sitcom Keeping Up Appearances came to an end, with the irreverent comedy still holding a firm place in many TV watchers hearts. The popular BBC show ran from 1990 to 1995 and featured Dame Patricia Routlegede in the title role of Hyacinth Bucket.The snobbish central character soon became a firm fan favourite, particularly for her insistence that her surname Bucket was actually pronounced “Bouquet”in an attempt to make herself sound more refined.

Say Lou Lou have released their dreamy new single ‘Wong Kar-Wai’ and announced details of their brand new EP ‘Dust’.‘Dust’ is scheduled to arrive on April 26 via Cosmos Music, and will be their first new music since their 2018 LP ‘Immortelle’. So far, the Swedish/Australian twins have shared another song from ‘Dust’ called ‘Waiting For A Boy‘ in January this year.Now, Say Lou Lou have released their second teaser of the EP called ‘Wong Kar-Wai’.

CPH:DOX, the prestigious documentary film festival in Copenhagen, has announced a competition program across six categories that features 47 world premieres.

Paramount’s Bob Marley: One Love had offshore audiences getting together and feeling more than alright in Wednesday international box office play. Beginning overseas release yesterday, the Reinaldo Marcus Green-directed biopic grossed $4.9M across 10 markets, several of them giving the story of the reggae icon No. 1 status and the biggest or second-biggest launch day ever for a music biopic — in Jamaica, it scored the biggest opening day of all time. 

Alissa Simon Film Critic As some former European Shooting Stars celebrate Oscar noms for their latest films, the Europe-wide initiative to draw attention to up-and-coming performers coordinated by European Film Promotion introduces another 10 talents during the Berlinale. From Feb. 16-19, the selected actors will participate in workshops, as well as meetings with producers and casting directors.

Gene Simmons and Boy George are among the famous faces who have signed an open letter, urging organisers of the Eurovision Song Contest to allow Israel to compete in 2024.Despite not being a part of the continent, Israel made its debut in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1973 as the first non-European country granted permission to participate in the event. However, there have been widespread calls for the country to be banned from taking part in the contest this year given the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.Last month, an open letter was issued to the European Broadcast, signed by over 1,000 Swedish artists including Robyn, Fever Ray, and First Aid Kit – calling for Israel to be withdrawn from competing at the finale in Malmö, Sweden on May 11.“The fact that countries that place themselves above humanitarian law are welcomed to participate in international cultural events trivialises violations of international law and makes the suffering of the victims invisible,” it read.

K.J. Yossman “Lord of the Rings” owner Embracer revealed its Q3 results were boosted by licensing revenue from the Tolkien IP despite being lower than expected overall.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Copenhagen documentary film festival CPH:DOX, whose 21st edition runs from March 13-24, has unveiled the films nominated across all six award categories. The selection features 66 films in competition, among which 47 are world premieres, 17 international premieres and two European premieres.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Beta Cinema has sold political thriller “Hammarskjöld — Fight for Peace,” which is a box office hit in its home territory Sweden, to multiple key territories. Sales include Italy (Rai Cinema), France (Swift Prods.), Spain (Twelve Oaks), Portugal (Outsider Films) and former Yugoslavia (Discovery). A U.S.