‘End of Summer’ to SkyShowtime

End of Summer, based on the bestselling novel by Anders de la Motte, is a six-part psychological thriller, set to premiere soon on SkyShowtime in the Nordics. The series stars Julia Ragnarsson (Midsommar, The Bridge) and Erik Enge (Tigers, The Sandhamn Murders).

The plot follows Vera, a Swedish psychologist whose brother mysteriously disappeared when she was a child. Two decades later, during a group therapy session, she encounters a young man who triggers memories of her past, pulling her back to her rural hometown. Determined to solve the mystery of her brother’s fate, Vera embarks on a gripping journey for the truth.

The series is directed by Jens Jonsson (Young Wallander) and Henrik Georgsson (The Bridge) with lead writers Stefan Thunberg (Wallander) and Björn Carlström (Hunters), who also produced the series with Per Janérus (Hunters).

‘Blood Ties’ No. 1 in Denmark

Jo Nesbø’s Blood Ties, published by Modtryk in Denmark on Friday, has gone straight to No. 1 on Saxo’s bestseller list for e-books and enters Bog & Idé’s bestseller list for hardcover crime fiction at No. 2.

‘The Winter Job’ Published in Finland

Helsinki, 1982. Recently divorced postal worker Ilmari Nieminen has promised his daughter a piano for Christmas, but with six days to the eve and with no money, he’s desperate. Through a colleague, Ilmari ends up transporting a valuable antique sofa to Kilpisjärvi, the northernmost town in Finland. At a gas station, a childhood friend appears and promises to fix Ilmari’s van in exchange for a ride north. Soon after, a persistent Saab 96 and then an egg-yellow Lada emerge in the rearview mirror, and Ilmari realizes that he is transporting something truly special.

The Winter Job is a darkly humorous and warmly touching suspense novel about friendship, love, and death. With Antti Tuomainen at the wheel, it flies a hundred and twenty kilometers an hour straight into the darkest heart of a Finnish winter night.

‘The Sleepwalker’ published in Sweden

An emergency call comes  in the middle of the night, reporting an ongoing burglary at a winter-closed camping site in Bredäng outside Stockholm.
The nearest police car responds to the call. There is a light on in one of the fartherst caravans in the otherwise dark area, and when the officers open the door to the caravan, they are greeted by a horrific sight. Floors, walls, and furniture are completely covered in blood. A person has been killed with an ax and brutally dismembered.
In one of the rooms, a young man is sleeping on the floor with a severed arm as his pillow. He is arrested and taken into custody at Kronobergshäktet. There he is identified as the 17-year-old Hugo Sand, son to a famous author.
It turns out that Hugo is suffering from a rare kind of somnabulism which is triggered by nightmares. He can either be the perpetrator or a witness, but claims, nevertheless, that that he remebers nothing from that night.

Joona Linna, who is asked to take on the case, contacts his old friend Erik Marie Bark in order to use hypnosis in the quest to find out what happened inside the caravan. This becomes the starting point of a complicated hunt for a bestial killer who has just entered an extremely active phase.

The Sleepwalker is Lars Kepler’s tenth novel featuring Joona Linna.

Øystein Karlsen’s ‘So Long, Marianne’ premieres in Norway

The hotly anticipated, original series So Long, Marianne, created by Øystein Karlsen, premieres on NRK in Norway today.

The eight-part series tells the story of Canadian singer and poet Leonard Cohen and his muse Marianne Ihlen, and stars Alex Wolff (A Quiet Place: Day One, Oppenheimer) as Cohen, with Thea Sofie Loch Næss (The Last Kingdom, Delete Me) as Marianne. Also in the cast are Anna Torv (The Newsreader, The Last of Us, Mindhunter), Noah Taylor (Preacher, Peaky Blinders, Game of Thrones) and Peter Stormare (American Gods, Fargo).

So Long, Marianne is written for the screen by Øystein Karlsen, who is also amongst the directors, and Jo Nesbø.

Niklas Palmklint Photo: Niklas Palmklint

Johan Rabaeus joins Salomonsson Agency

During his childhood years, Johan Rabaeus traveled across the world from Paris, New York, Prague, Algiers, and Geneva. After first pursuing a career within finance, he changed his path to pursue his passion for acting, enrolling in Inge Wærn’s Theater Studio. Despite initial skepticism, Rabaeus’s talent shone brightly, landing him lead roles like Sherlock Holmes in Sherlock Holmes’ Last Case, catapulting him to engagements at Riksteatern in 1975-76.

Transitioning from various theater groups, Rabaeus found his home at the prestigious Royal Dramatic Theatre in 1984. He has been collaborating with renowned directors like Ingmar Bergman, Jurij Ljubimov and Robert Lepage over the years and have left an indelible mark on Swedish theater.

Rabaeus has captivated audiences nationwide with roles in films such as Herrar (1986), Goltuppen (1991), and Evil (2003). His versatility extends to voice acting, enriching children’s productions with his distinctive voice.

Venturing beyond the Royal Dramatic Theatre, Rabaeus has worked on several stages across Sweden, from Gothenburg City Theater to Stockholm City Theater. His portrayal of iconic characters like Molière’s Tartuffe, Shakespeare’s Caliban and Dante in The Divine Comedy showcases his range and depth as an actor.

In the realm of musical theater, Rabaeus has been in productions like Sound of Music and Kiss Me, Kate at the Gothenburg Opera.

As a beloved figure in Swedish entertainment, Johan Rabaeus continues to inspire audiences with his talent, passion, and unwavering dedication to his craft.

Martin Widmark and Anders de la Motte No. 1 on the Swedish bestseller lists

In the children’s category, Martin Widmark’s The Space Mysteryclaims the No.1 spot for the third consecutive week. Meanwhile, the second installment in the Leo Asker series, The Glass Man, is once again No. 1 on the paperback list.

‘Stolen Music’ published in Sweden

Stolen Music tells the chilling stories of Jewish musicians Wanda Landowska, Arthur Rubinstein, Shony Braun, Alma Rosé, and Władysław Szpilman from the interwar period’s vibrant musical scene to the Nazis’ persecution. Parallel to these musicians’ fates is the story about music’s role in the Third Reich, and the wide-spread and systematic looting of tens of thousands of instruments, manuscripts, and books. Many of these are still lost to the world.

The special command Sonderstab Musik led the hunt for Europe’s foremost musical treasures, invaluable instruments and manuscripts from masters such as Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven. Headed by Herbert Gerigk, the aim of this musical looting was to obliterate Jewish influence over European music once and for all.

Stolen Music is not only a tale of the Nazis’ attempt to silence their opponents, but one about music as an act of resistance.

Photo: Hope Studios

Jo Nesbø & Jesper Ganslandt team with Hope Studios for US-set horror movie ‘The Night House’

Jo Nesbø is adapting his recent novel The Night House, a Stephen King-esque tale set in small town America in the mid-eighties, into a horror movie to film next spring. The project combines Nesbø with critically acclaimed writer and director Jesper Ganslandt, co-creator and director of hit Netflix show Snabba Cash, and veteran producer Fredrik Wikström Nicastro (A Man Called Otto) of Hope Studios. Ganslandt will direct, and co-script with Nesbø.

The Night House takes place in the mid-1980s. Recently orphaned, Richard has been sent to live with relatives in the remote US town of Ballantyne. One day, during an innocent prank in a phone booth, Richard shockingly witnesses his classmate getting sucked into the phone receiver – disappearing without a trace. The local police suspect Richard to be responsible and no one believes his story. No one, except Karen – a fellow teenage outsider. Together Richard and Karen must embark on a quest to solve the mystery and to prove his innocence, but soon realise evil forces and black magic are closing in on them.

Fredrik Wikström Nicastro, Founder and CEO of Hope Studios, said: “Jo’s novel is both gripping and original – an entertaining roller-coaster of frights, twists and turns. Hope Studios was created to be a vehicle for creators and storytellers to realise projects with meaningful themes and to delve into the human condition. Horror has long been a way of exploring the darker side of humanity, and through that offering insight and sometimes, unexpectedly, hope. To have Jesper leading the project with his deeply individual sensibility is a great gift – and we are excited to be embarking on this adaptation with Jo’s involvement and support.”

“I’m thrilled to be working with such a fine director,” Jo Nesbø ads, “Falkenberg Farewell is one of my absolute favorite Swedish films.”

Jesper Ganslandt said: “The prospect of writing a script together with such a masterful author who has sold more than 60 million books could easily feel a bit daunting. But, Jo Nesbø was incredibly generous and humble from our very first conversation. And to my great joy, we also happen to share the same goal which is turning this into a seriously disturbing psychological horror movie, unlike anything you’ve ever seen before!”

Jo Nesbø and Niclas Salomonsson serve as Executive Producers on the feature. The film is set for production start in the spring of 2025.

Read more in Deadline by clicking “Read More” below.

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Gabriel Liljevall

Lisa Ridzén receives Region Jämtlands Härjedalen Culture Scholarship

Lisa Ridzén has received Region Jämtland Härjedalen’s Culture Scholarship for her debut When The Cranes Fly South.

Region Jämtland Härjedalen Culture Scholarships are annually handed out to three people active in different art fields, and Ridzén is the recipient of the scholarship for literature.

The motivation for Lisa Ridzén receiving this year’s scholarship reads as follows:

“With an appealing language and a particular ability to depict characters with tenderness, Lisa Ridzén – based in Hegled in Orrviken – writes in a way that affects, is felt deeply and inspires reflection. In a generationally transcending character gallery she captures the unspoken conflicts in both family life and friendships, at the same time as she frames the issues and broodings that an aging person can be confronted with. An authorship that will be most exciting to follow ahead.”

The scholarship ceremony will take place on the 17th of October at Storsjöteatern.