Scandinavian major Nordisk Film Production and leading Nordic sales, financing and production outfit Reinvent Yellow have just inked a distribution deal on three high-end crime series.
The series part of the pact includes “Snake Killer” (“Slangedræber”), Prime Video’s first Danish Original which is having its international premiere in competition at Canneseries this week, TV2 Norway’s “Sogn Murders” (“Mord i Sogn”), based on the best-selling books by Jørgen Jæger, and another show at an early stage.
“It cannot be named yet, but it’s a highly anticipated Nordic crime IP,” said Nordisk Film Production’s Marike Muselaers, VP international financing & coproductions.Reinvent Yellow will oversee global distribution outside the Nordics for “Snake Killer” and outside the Nordics and German-speaking territories for “Sogn Murders.”
Nordisk Film Production CEO Katrine. Vogelsang and Muselaers said: “Having a partner invest in three series at once is incredibly valuable, especially in today’s market, and Reinvent Yellow’s confidence reflects the quality of our newly built TV series slate. We’re in this to create long-running entertainment with all three-crime series and with Reinvent Yellow on board we’re convinced the international market will feel the same way.”
Rikke Ennis, deputy CEO at Reinvent Yellow said: “Reinvent Yellow has a very ambitious growth strategy and we are planning to invest in numerous Nordic and English-speaking series and feature films over the next years. This acquisition underlines that strategy. We believe in strong and fruitful partnerships where we can grow together and we are very proud to be representing these high-quality series produced by Nordisk Film.”
“Snake Killer” and “Sogn Murders” are a perfect fit for Reinvent Yellow, particularly from an international sales perspective,” Helene Aurø, CSO at Reinvent Yellow noted. “They align closely with the type of premium, character-driven crime content we actively look to bring to the global market, making them a strong match for our content strategy, more than from a pure production angle.”
She added: “It’s the strength of the storytelling, the distinct tone, and their international appeal that make them so well-suited to our catalogue. Both series embody the kind of bold, engaging content that travels well and resonates with audiences worldwide.”
Launched by Prime Video exclusively across the Nordics on Jan. 16, “Snake Killer” is a hard-hitting crime thriller written and directed by Anders Ølholm (“Shorta”), with Mette Høst Hansen and Mia Marie Borup producing. The four-part series inspired by real events, stars Pilou Asbæk (“Games of Thrones”) as corrupt cop Smiley, head of Copenhagen’s infamous Uropatruljen police unit. It’s like ‘Dirty Harry’ but dirtier,” Canneseries artistic director Albin Lewi told Variety.
In a much lighter tone, the Norwegian show “Sogn Murders,” produced by Sigurd Mikal Karoliussen, is set against the dramatic landscape of the Sognefjord in Western Norway. We follow Ole Vik detective (Kristofer Hivju,“Game of Thrones,” “Beck”) and his unlikely partner Cecilie Hopen (Eili Harboe, “Thelma,” “The Architect”) as they navigate professional and personal tensions to solve a murder case.
The series, created and directed by Kristoffer Metcalfe, launched successfully on home turf March 19 on TV2 Play, with more than one million viewers (from a population of 5.6 million) and “an insanely good completion rate of 98%,” said Muselaers who describes it as “blue sky crime suitable for family viewing – with tweens and teens, that is.”
After Norway, the cosy crime has had a strong start on partner broadcaster MTV Finland. Next up are DR in Denmark, TV4 in Sweden and ARD in Germany.
Turning on Nordisk Film Production’s overall strategy, Muselaers said the outfit plans to release from 2027 onwards, six to seven series a year across Denmark, Norway and Sweden, “with a focus on relevant, long-running entertainment that leaves an ‘afterglow’, a smart mix of genres for various formats and platforms.”
Egmont Group’s prodco part of the venerable 120 year-old Nordisk Film also looks favourably at Denmark’s new 25% tax rebates on local spend, to renew its international co-production strategy via minority co-pro bets.
“Co-productions go both ways for us. We want to drive the local market and aim to be a stable international partner,” added Muselaers, citing Nordisk Films’ Short Cut 360 LED virtual stage and post-production facilities at the group’s heard-quarters in Valby, as unique adds-on to attract international partners.
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