News

The eagerly anticipated TV Drama Vision showcase in Göteborg has unveiled its 2025 program, where 50+ series from some of the best Nordic and European creatives will be showcased over Jan. 28-29, next to a full program of inspiring talks.

“Our curated program is a true team effort. We’ve worked hard and enjoyed every bit of it and I hope our 700+ industry delegates from 30 countries will enjoy it,” said Cia Edström, founder and head of Scandinavia’s biggest drama market.

Shortlisted by TV Drama Vision’s strong selection committee, a record high number of series in development from 14 countries were selected, and the nine series in the works in progress were picked “from the most relevant and captivating stories coming up,” said Edström.

Host country Sweden is out in force, with four projects in post-production, backed by top-tier platforms and broadcasters and stellar talents on both sides of the camera.

In...

Norwegian actor turned TV writer-director Henriette Steenstrup says she “adooores” “Ted Lasso,” and it’s easy to see why. Her first gig as showrunner “Pørni,” the Viaplay comedy hit, recommissioned by Netflix for Seasons 4-5, displays similar qualities: a rare ability to mix comedy with heart-warming drama, without shying away from serious issues.

With her upcoming shows “Nepobaby” and “Triage,” commissioned by TV2 Norway, the versatile Norwegian talent named one of Variety’s 10 European TV creators to watch in 2022, will stick to her working formula while exploring new settings. “I love mixing genres,” says the star of “Ragnarok” and “Lilyhammer,” ahead of Göteborg’s TV Drama Vision showcase, where she will deliver a talk later this month and serve as jury president of the Nordic Series Script Award.

Currently in development, “Triage” is set in Oslo at a hospital’s ER department, where nurses are forced to make tough decisions,...

From Aug. 17-23, the charming coastal town of Haugesund, Norway, will showcase 76 films and 21 shorts in the newly renovated Edda film hub, offering two extra screening rooms, bringing the total halls to seven.

“We are looking forward to using the two new luxury halls and giving both the films and the audience a quality experience,” said festival honcho Tonje Hardersen.

Many of the high-quality features will screen in the festival’s main program, including several Cannes entries making their Norwegian premiere, such as “All We Imagine as Light,” “The Substance,” “Wild Diamond,” “The Girl with the Needle” and “When the Light Breaks.”

Among the four world premieres, three hail from Norway, a nation that boasts an enviable list of 2024 fest winners, such as Sundance’s “A New Kind of Wilderness,” “Handling the Undead,” Berlin’s “Sex” and Karlovy Vary’s “Loveable,” all lined up for Haugesund as well.

“Once again,...

Another day, another Netflix content slate in Europe.

Following content showcases in Germany and London last week, the streamer has unveiled its slate in the Nordics. Among the key TV announcements are a Norwegian series based on author Joe Nesbø’s police detective Harry Hole and Netflix’s first Nordic period drama.

A number of films were also unveiled at a Next on Netflix event today in Stockholm, Sweden, and you can read about them here.

On the TV front, Harry Hole (working title) comes from Exit and So Long, Marianne creator Oystein Karlsen, and is based on Nesbø’s novel The Devil’s Star, about the titular detective. Working Title is producing ahead of a 2026 debut and Nesbø is writing the script.

Synopsis reads: “A heat wave hits a holiday-quiet Oslo. In an apartment by the cemetery, small black lumps begin to drip through the floor. At the same time,...

Wild Bunch TV has boarded the Norwegian drama series “Holmlia Love” from Fremantle-backed Monster. The six-part series is one of the first projects coming out of the New8 Euro pubcasters’ pact.

The Paris-based global distribution banner will cover rights outside the eight northern European territories, handled by the New8 partners: Nrk Norway, which commissioned the show, Zdf Germany, Npo The Netherlands, Vrt Belgium, Svt Sweden, Dr Denmark, Yle Finland, and RÚV Iceland.

For his debut as creator, co-writer and co-director, Mikael Diseth, producer of Monster Scripted’s hit series “Countrymen,” has teamed up with concept director Andre Chocron, credited for the “Paul McCartney: Appreciate” music video and Canneseries 2023 winning drama “Power Play”.

The six-part drama series is based on the true race-motivated murder of 15 -year-old Benjamin Hermansen by two Neo-Nazis, which shook Norway in 2001. The knife-stabbing of the teenager of Ghanaian and Norwegian origin, took place in Oslo’s multicultural Holmlia district.

Warning: The following contains Spoilers for Ragnarok season 2.

The Netflix series Ragnarok takes place in Norway and includes a stellar cast, but doesn't necessarily include one big-name star — here is the Ragnarok cast and character guide. The fantasy thriller series includes numerous strong performances, and could possibly introduce viewers to actors and actresses that could use some extra streaming exposure. Naturally, many Netflix subscribers may be curious if and where they've seen any of the Ragnarok cast members before. Based on Norse mythology, Netflix's Ragnarok follows a teenager named Magne who learns that he possesses extraordinary physical abilities.

In fact, he appears to be the modern-day Thor, certainly to a family of secretly-surviving Old Norse Giants known as the Jutuls, some of the most powerful characters in Ragnarok. When Magne's environmentally-conscious friend gets killed, he investigates but doesn't impress the locals with his seemingly-paranoid ramblings. This sets the stage for Magne's epic transformation.

Viaplay, the Nordic streamer that is a big producer of original programming, has launched its service in the U.S., promising consumers Nordic Noir hit content and “premium Scandinavian storytelling” for $5.99 per month.

U.S. customers can sign up with a seven-day free trial, the company said on Wednesday, Feb. 22. Series available exclusively on Viaplay include Danish crime drama Trom, starring Ulrich Thomsen, Norway’s Furia, which explores the world of right-wing extremism, London-set Swedish relationship drama Threesome with Lucien Laviscount and financial drama Exit, one of Norway’s most streamed series. (The streamer’s film and TV content is all available subtitled in English.)

Film titles include A Man Called Ove, which was recently remade as A Man Called Otto with Tom Hanks, Academy Award-winning dark comedy Another Round starring Mads Mikkelsen (Casino Royale), as well as all three original films from the Millennium/The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo trilogy.

Keshet Interntional (Ki) has scored a raft of deals across its slate of foreign-language dramas, including the action-packed procedural series “Blue Moon” and the coming-of-age comedy-drama “Dreaming of England.”

Ki closed a multi-title deal with AMC Networks International for its channels in Spain and Portugal for “Blue Moon,” “Dreaming of England” (“Sommaren 85”), as well as “Pørni,” Monster Scripted’s heartwarming Norwegian hit show which was created by and starring Henriette Steenstrup for Viaplay. The pact with AMC Networks International includes pay TV and subscription-based VOD rights on all three seasons of “Blue Moon,” as well as “Dreaming of England” and the first two seasons of “Pørni,” for the group’s channels in Spain and Portugal.

Produced by Aetios Productions and commissioned by the French-Canadian streamer Club Illico, “Blue Moon” was penned by Luc Dionne and stars award-winning actor Karine Vanasse (“Cardinal”).

“Dreaming of England,” is a retro comedy-drama produced by...

Variety has been given exclusive access to the first teaser for Norwegian drama “War Sailor,” which follows two Norwegian sailors whose merchant ship is attacked by German submarines at the outbreak of World War II. Beta Cinema will be selling the film at the Cannes Market.

The film centers on Alfred Garnes, a working-class sailor, who has recently become the father of a third child, and his childhood friend Sigbjørn Kvalen, known as Wally. The men are working on a merchant ship in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean when World War II breaks out. The two men struggle for survival in a spiral of violence and death, where at any moment German submarines may attack their vessel.

Meanwhile, Alfred’s wife Cecilia struggles through the war alone in Bergen. When British aircrafts attempt to bomb the German submarine bunker in Bergen, they instead hit the elementary school at Laksevåg and civilian homes at Nøstet,...

In Monster Scripted’s seven-episode series “Afterglow,” hailing from Norway, Ester – mother, wife and a friend – finds out she has cancer. But instead of giving in to pain, she “demands joy,” actress Nina Ellen Ødegård told Variety at Canneseries after its premiere in main competition. REinvent handles sales.

“She gets desperate, in a way, and I find it so true,” she says about her spirited character who refuses to be victimized. Ødegård, also a regular in supernatural Nordic noir “Seizure,” embraced – and loved – Ester’s failings.

“After seeing the first episodes again, I thought: ‘I am so rude!’ But we wanted to show her being as human as possible, so that others can hopefully recognize themselves in her struggle. I haven’t experienced illness [knocks on wood], but when I became a mother, I was also obnoxious to my friends. I always felt like I didn’t have enough time. Once you experience something life-changing,...

Paramount Plus’ “Halo,” a makeover of the massive video game hit by Steven Spielberg’s Amblin TV and 343 Industries, will open this year’s Canneseries.

In other potential highlights, Gillian Anderson will be on hand to receive the Variety Icon Award. Canneseries Artistic Director Albin Lewi praised Gillian Anderson for delivering 10 “edgy” and iconic roles that have helped to redefine the drama landscape, and for being a symbol of “this golden age of series.” “Euphoria” star Sydney Sweeney will pick up the Madame Figaro Rising Star Award, the French TV festival announced Tuesday March 8 in Paris, unveiling its 2022 lineup.

“Squid Game” creator Hwang Dong-huyk producer Yeon Kim-ji will be in Cannes for a South Korea Focus.

Main growth at 2022’s Cannesseries will be in industry terms, said Canneseries Managing Director Benoit Louvet. The festival will stage its 4th Vivendi-backed Talent Unlimited writers residencies and 3rd Canneseries Writers Club, with...

Greenlight

Starzplay has greenlit a six-episode second season of hit travel documentary series “Men in Kilts: A Roadtrip with Sam and Graham,” featuring “Outlander” stars Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish. They will hit the road again, this time in New Zealand. Developed by Heughan and McTavish, the original series is produced by Boardwalk Pictures, in association with Sony Pictures Television.

Heughan and McTavish conceived the original idea and serve as executive producers alongside Alexander Norouzi, Andrew Fried, Dane Lillegard, Sarina Roma and Kevin Johnston who also serves as director.

The first season saw Heughan and McTavish having an adventure in Scotland.

Sales

Keshet International has completed a raft of deals on crime thriller series “Furia” to Scandinavian streamer Viaplay in 26 new territories, including Poland and the Baltics; Filmin in Spain; Cellcom tv in Israel; and Mola TV in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore; alongside the previously announced pre-sale to Sbs in Australia.

Exclusive: Viaplay has set its Norwegian Original film in the shape of World War II drama Gold Run (Gulltransporten), based on the true story of a group of unlikely resistance fighters who smuggled Norway’s gold reserves out of the country ahead of invading Nazi forces.

Jon Øigarden (Exit), Sven Nordin (Wisting) and Axel Bøyum (Delete Me) lead the all-star Norwegian cast in the feature-length production, which is due to begin filming in early 2022 with an exclusive premiere on Viaplay later in the year.

Pic will be directed by the Hallvard Bræin (The Giant) and is produced by Jørgen Storm Rosenberg and Kjetil Omberg at 74 Entertainment, with Tanya Nanette Badendyck as executive producer for Viaplay.

The movie is set on 9 April 1940 when German soldiers entered Oslo to seize three targets: the country’s king, government and gold. In just a few chaotic hours, parliamentary secretary Fredrik Haslund (Øigarden) assembled an improbable team,...

Is it even Mipcom if The Grand is closed and a legion of bamboo planters is blocking off access to a vacant Grand Palais basement? As the global TV market convened in Cannes after two pandemic-stricken years, it was initially hard to say. But despite an understated affair with fewer U.S. delegates and hardly any presence from Asia, Australia and Latin America those who did attend got valuable face-time with key business contacts and a renewed sense of an industry quietly coming back to life.

Here are the 10 top talking points from Cannes:

Squid Game on Top

Few dared to travel to Mipcom without having seen at least a couple of episodes of Netflix’s smash hit from Korea, “Squid Game.” The show was name-dropped in virtually all content sessions, with breathless executives applauding its imagination and investment from the SVOD. Ironically, while Korea normally has a robust presence in Cannes,...

With the majority of big global TV distributors opting out of a physical presence at Mipcom, the flashy stands have been replaced by snazzy digital platforms showcasing content rolling out starting this fall.

Among them are a series of virtual festivals by Banijay, which acquired Endemol Shine in summer 2020 and boasts a catalog of more than 88,000 hours of programming. Rather than join Mipcom organizer Reed Midem’s virtual Mipcom Online Plus event, the mega-indie is going its own way, as are so many other distributors.

The latest of its planned digital forays is a non-English language scripted festival designed to showcase the group’s eclectic mix of European dramas. These include six-part French show “Germinal,” a modern adaptation of Émile Zola’s classic 1985 coal-mining strike saga; Swedish boarding-school drama “A Class Apart”; and Italian coming-of-age series “My Ballerina,” a co-production with Italy’s Mediaset.

“We have a vast array of...

Anders Jensen, the sleek and mild-mannered president and CEO of Nent Group, has transformed the company’s Scandinavian streamer, Viaplay, into Netflix’s biggest European competitor since taking its helm in 2018. Jensen, who describes himself as a “content nerd,” is the recipient of Variety’s Vanguard Award, which will be presented at Mipcom in Cannes this year. He is behind the company’s big strategic move into scripted content.

Jensen joined the company in 2014 when it was part of the listed conglomerate Modern Times Group, before it split into two companies and rebranded its entertainment assets into Nent Group. Jensen says having a focused approach is a prerequisite to have a chance to thrive in today’s increasingly concentrated media landscape.

“A lot of companies that end up in conglomerates typically tend to be ‘de-focused,’ but if you want to transform your business, then you need to be laser-focused on...

Viaplay, the ambitious Scandinavian streaming service from Nent Group, is about to grow its footprint in several key markets around the world.

The company, whose recent hit shows include “Porni,” “Those Who Kill” and “Honour,” just unveiled its plan to launch in the U.K. in the second half of 2022, and in Canada, Germany, Switzerland and Austria in 2023. Viaplay is currently available in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Iceland, on top of Scandinavia, and is aiming to be present in 16 markets by the end of 2023.

Anders Jensen, Nent Group president and CEO, spoke to Variety about how the company will capitalize on the fan base for Nordic noir content; position itself in today’s crowded streaming landscape; and navigate fragmented content rights.

Congratulations on announcing a launch in five more markets. I was expecting France to be part of it!

Well, France is definitely within our scope, and there will be more chapters in our journey.

Keshet International (Ki) has completed high-profile licensing deals with WarnerMedia Latin America and Spain’s Filmin TV on “Pørni,” the heartwarming Norwegian comedy-drama created by and starring “Lilyhammer” actor Henriette Steenstrup.

Steenstrup, who won a Dragon Award at Goteborg Festival in 2020 for her performance in “Beware of Children,” stars in the bittersweet series as a middle-aged single parent of three teenagers.

The most-watched Norwegian Original series on Nent Group’s streamer Viaplay, “Pørni” screens next week at Series Mania 2021 in the Panorama competition. “Pørni” was previously part of the Berlinale Series Market Selects. Viaplay has ordered two more seasons of the show produced by Monster Scripted. Both seasons are set to premiere in 2022.

WarnerMedia Latin America acquired season one of the show exclusively for HBO Max. The WarnerMedia-owned streaming platform, which recently launched across 39 territories in Latin America and the Caribbean, has committed to picking up the second and third seasons of the popular show.

Nordic Entertainment Group (Nent Group) has renewed its hit Norwegian comedy-drama series “Pørni” for a second and third season.

Distributed by Keshet International, the comedy-drama was created by Henriette Steenstrup (“Lilyhammer”) who also stars. It launched on Nent Group’s Viaplay streaming service in May and scored the most successful premiere for a Norwegian Viaplay Original.

The two new seasons of the show will continue the bittersweet story of Pørni, a middle-age single parent who always puts others first – even though she wants more from life for herself.

“The reception so far has been incredibly good and then suddenly the idea of making more ‘Pørni’ became extremely frightening, but of course it’s very exciting too,” said Steenstrup, who won the Dragon Award at Goteborg in 2019 for her performance in “Beware of Children.” “Pørni” marks her directorial debut.

“Family life sometimes feels like one long dilemma, which might be why...

Nent Group, the company that operates leading Scandi streaming service Viaplay, announced today that it is committing to finance and produce two English language features films per year as it ramps up its international expansion strategy.

The outfit is already ploughing a significant amount of money into its TV productions, which will reach an impressive 50 originals per year by 2022, and its commitment to film is designed to precede its launch in the U.S. at the end of this year. The titles will be all based on Nordic true stories, but will be shot in English and made with a wide range of cast and crew. The first will be Hilma, a biopic of the revolutionary Swedish artist and feminist pioneer Hilma af Klint, written and directed by Oscar nominee Lasse Hallström and starring Lena Olin.

Deadline caught up with Nent Group President and CEO Anders Jensen to discuss...