SF Studios Boards ‘Evil’ Series, Based on Jan Guillou’s Bestseller (EXCLUSIVE)

Elsa Keslassy
·2 min read
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SF Studios has boarded “Evil,” an original series adapted from Jan Guillou’s classic bestseller by the same name, which will be directed by “The Last Kingdom” helmer Erik Leijonborg and Daniel Di Grado (“Alena”). REinvent is handling international sales.

Penned by Fredrik T Olsson, the six-episode series is being produced by Tobias Åström at SF Studios and will launch on the Scandinavian streamer C More and Swedish broadcaster TV4, which are also co-producing. The series starts shooting this week in Vilnius, Lithuania.

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The novel was previously adapted into a 2003 film directed by Mikael Håfström. Gustaf Skarsgård (“The Emigrants,” “438 days”) who starred in the movie will also star in the series in a different role.

“Evil” will revolve around a troubled young man, Erik, who gets expelled from his school in Stockholm due to his violent behavior. He gets transferred to the boarding school Stjernsberg, where the violence is worse than at home. While there, he engages in a forbidden love relationship with a kitchen staff member, Marja.

Isac Calmroth (“Håll andan!”) will headline the series as Erik, and will play opposite Thea Sofie Loch Naess (“The Last Kingdom”). The cast is completed by Isac Calmroth, Thea Sofie Loch Naess, Gustaf Skarsgård, Ruth Vega Fernandez, Jens Hultén, Alexander Gustavsson, Christian Fandango, Saga Sarkola and Simon Norrthon.

“We aim to create a series that brings out the close and strong emotions and at the same time is a great and rich story,” said Tobias Åström, producer at SF Studios.

“We are convinced that this description of violence and oppression is relevant today, but we also want to investigate the possibility of other methods than violence to combat violence,” added Åström.

Åström said the show will highlight how “the school’s violent structures undermines a flourishing, but forbidden love affair” and “how the two manage to influence each other to break free from the negative patterns they are stuck in.”

Piodor Gustafsson, the director of Nordic drama for TV4 Media and C More, said “Jan Guillou’s novel ‘Evil’ is constantly relevant, perhaps more now than in a very long time.”

“Breaking violent behaviors requires great individual courage. Examining and questioning masculinity is our responsibility,” said Piodor Gustafsson, director of Nordic drama for TV4 Media and C More.

The series is executive produced by Petra Ahlin at C More and TV4, and is expected to premiere on C More in 2023.

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