‘NORD’ becomes drama series

Filmlance International has acquired the adaptation rights to Katarina Ekstedt and Anna Winberg Sääf’s psychological thriller NORD, to turn it into a drama series, produced by Karl Fredrik Ulfung and Tomas Michaelsson. Award-winning screenwriter Johanne Algren (Holiday, Kamikaze, Copenhagen Cowboys) will write the script.

NORD is a captivating psychological thriller that delves into the dark underbelly of the fine dining scene. After a fateful teenage accident, Alex finds himself alone, unemployed and with his self-esteem at rock bottom. When he receives an offer that seems too good to be true, he doesn’t hesitate for a second. It’s a coveted job as Commis de Cuisine, kitchen assistant, at the world-famous star restaurant NORD in Åre. But it’s not long before the work in the restaurant kitchen is replaced by a web of lies, sex and threats.

“Developing the NORD universe with its complex characters into a high quality and exciting TV series is a fantastic opportunity. And to be able to do it in a restaurant environment where fabulous food will be cooked during the filming means that we will put on a few kilos. Together with scriptwriter Johanne Algren, we are convinced that we can create an international success that will keep viewers on their toes,” said Karl Fredrik Ulfung and Tomas Michaelsson, producers at Filmlance.

‘Killing Moon’ the most sold fiction title in Sweden of 2023 so far

The Swedish booksellers’ association has announced a list of the most sold books of 2023 so far, and Jo Nesbø’s Killing Moon takes the No. 1 spot in the fiction category and comes in at No. 2 across all titles, just behind Sveriges Rikes Lag 2023 (Swedish Code of Statutes).

‘Beist’ NRK premiere

The teen drama series Beist, created and written by Ernst De Geer and Mads Stegger, premiered on NRK April 20. Ole Sebastian Kåss is directing and Max Campbell stars as the leading role Elias.

Beist follows sixteen-year-old Elias who is one of the best players in one of Norway’s premier youth football teams. Within five days he must prove that he has what it takes to be signed as a professional. How far is he willing to go to achieve this goal in a sport that is based on being a good team player?

Stefan Ahnhem No. 2 in Sweden

Stefan Ahnhem’s Nothing But the Truth makes its debut on the official Swedish bestseller list, where it lands the No. 2 spot in the hardcover fiction category. Thomas Enger likewise makes his first appearance with the just published The Book of the Gallows, coming in at No. 6.

‘Exit’ season 3 SVT premiere

The third season of Øystein Karlsen’s hit TV series Exit premieres on Friday April 21 on SVT.

Exit season 3 premiered on NRK in March to mind-blowing viewer ratings, and is Scandinavia’s most viewed series of all time.

‘Flutters of the Heart’ published in Sweden

No one at school believes Vilda when she tells them she is Sámi. There are always a million questions: Do you speak Sámi? Do you own reindeer? Is your dad Sámi? But no matter what answers Vilda give, it’s like she’s not Sámi enough for them. She’s decided to change that. She’s going to start wearing gábdde, the traditional Sámi clothing, and ask her grandfather, the only one in her family who speaks Sámi, to teach her the language.

But when Vilda’s grandfather suddenly passes away, everything is turned upside down. Vilda has to navigate her Sámi heritage all on her own. At the funeral she meets Samuel. He is a few years older and has everything Vilda wants for herself: the gábdde, the reindeer, the language. Everything her grandfather never got the chance to give her. Perhaps Samuel can show her how to be Sámi instead?

Flutters of the Heart is a book about grief, love, and the right to define who you are.

‘The Happiness Cure’ No. 2 in Finland

Anders Hansen’s international bestseller The Happiness Cure enters the official Finnish bestseller list for non-fiction, taking the No. 2 spot on the March list.

‘Unscientific Studies: Nine pieces of evidence for things that likely haven’t happened’ published in Sweden

Unscientific Studies: Nine pieces of evidence for things that likely haven’t happened is a collection of hilarious, brutal, surprising and thought-provoking short stories that take the reader for a true literary roller-coaster ride. In these stories, dads’ fingers may turn into delicious hotdogs, saffron buns might come alive and clouds can be tamed as pets. The nine featured short stories are each a piece of evidence for something that likely hasn’t happened…only one can’t really know for sure.

Scintillating with imagination and magnificent eccentrics, Unscientific Studies, written by Emma Karinsdotter and illustrated by Marcus-Gunnar Petterson, expands the horizons for what children’s literature can contain and demonstrates just how spectacularly text and image can play together.

 

Nikolaj Moeller Photo: Nikolaj Moeller

Gustav Möller wraps filming for ‘Vogter’

Gustav Möller has just completed shooting of his new psychological thriller Vogter, produced by Nordisk Film. For Vogter, Möller reunited with producer Line Flint, co-writer Emil Nygaard Albertsen, and cinematographer Jasper J. Spanning, the team that created his multi-awarded debut The Guilty (2018).

Danish star actress Sidse Babette Knudsen (Borgen, Wildland) plays the idealistic prison guard Eva, who is caught in the dilemma of her life when a young man from her past is placed in the prison where she works. Without revealing her secret, Eva asks to be moved to the young man’s ward, the toughest and most violent ward in the prison. There, an electrifying and unpredictable psychological game starts between them, where Eva’s sense of justice puts both her morality and future at stake.

The Danish theatrical release via Nordisk Film Distribution is scheduled for February 29, 2024.

‘The Happiness Cure’ sold to 35 territories

Anders Hansen’s The Happiness Cure has now been sold to 35 territories! In his bestselling book, Hansen explores how our brains work in modern society and provides us with knowledge on how to best take care of both our bodies and minds.