Hot Upcoming Nordic Series and Films
TV shows shown as works in progress which made strong impressions took period pieces “Ronja the Robber’s Daughter,” picked up by
Netflix,
Disney+ first Nordic original “To Cook a Bear,” and Eliot Summer starrer crime drama “Cry Wolf.’ But the most-buzzed about shows were the SVT/Disney+ co-production “Whiskey on the Rocks,” a Cold War submarine satire based on true events, and “Faithless,” Tomas Alfredson TV adaptation of Ingmar Bergman’s 2000 movie.
Netflix, Disney+, Amazon in Nordic languages
“We are here [in the Nordics] for the long run, and 2024 will be our biggest year in Sweden in terms of original productions and a diverse slate” said Jenny Stjernströmer Björk, VP of Nordic Content at Netflix, who mentioned Mikael Marcimain’s upcoming thriller “An Honest Life” and the anticipated classic “Ronja, The Daughter’s Robber,” picked up from Viaplay.
Briefly detailing her drama strategy, Stjernströmer Björk said she has gathered learnings from past features and series. “The more relevant and authentic the story, the more it resonates and travels. So we’re looking for stories told with the heart, with a strong core, and executed in an authentic way,” she said.
Her Netflix colleague Håkon Briseid, director of Nordic series, underlined cultural differences between the five Nordic countries. “Some jokes don’t translate well. Our job is to dig into what makes us unique, while looking for common factors,” he said, citing content as conversation starters with a high must-see edge derived from suspense, comedy dramas, a balance between light and dark and cross-generational potential.
“The next thing for us will be non-fiction,” added Stjernströmer Björk.
Also invited on stage, Karin Lindström, Amazon’s head of originals, MGM Studios and Prime Video said the U.S. group plans to grow its original slate in the region across drama, entertainment, movies and 2024 will be “an important year,” with the first original drama in local language. She said she is looking for stories that are broad genre – thrillers, crime, even romance. “We do see romcoms coming back and doing well,” she underlined, before teasing TV Drama Vision delegates with a clip of “Stockholm Backout.”
Meanwhile Vibeke Lia, director of programming & production for The Walt Disney Company Nordics & Baltics presented an impressive teaser of Disney+’s first Nordic original “To Cook a Bear.” “It’s a true standout series, with natural Nordic DNA,” she said.
Pics ‘The Girl with the Needle,’ series ‘Whiskey on the Rocks,' ‘Faithless’ were some of the hot titles at Göteborg’s film and TV Showcase
variety.com
