Story House Pictures, Behind ‘Sisi,’ Joins Take Two Studios, Sagafilm on Nordic Blue ‘Hildur’: ‘This Could Be a Mainstream Hit’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Germany’s Story House Pictures, also behind “Sisi” and “Dignity,” has boarded upcoming series “Hildur,” joining forces with Finland’s Take Two and Iceland’s Sagafilm.
The international studio of the Bavaria Film Group, Story House Pictures will co-produce and has acquired rights to Germany and world distributor rights, but Take Two will be the company taking the creative lead, Story House co-founder Andreas Gutzeit told Variety.
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Presented at Spain’s Conecta Fiction and based on the bestselling novel by Satu Rämö and set in Iceland, “Hildur” is developed by Matti Laine, also behind “The Paradise.”
“We loved the pitch, loved the story and we saw a possibility in it,” said Story House Pictures’ Andreas Gutzeit.
“We are into brands and into franchises. When we saw that the book has already sold to 10 different territories, we quickly realized this could be a mainstream hit.”
In the story, a surfing detective Hildur Rúnarsdóttir races against time to catch a serial killer in Iceland’s fjords, while also unraveling the mystery of her long lost sisters, who vanished without a trace on their way home from school.
Now, 25 years later, Hildur begins to investigate a gruesome murder. Luckily, she gets help from Finnish officer candidate Jakob Johanson and German police trainee Niklas Herrmann.
The show, set to premiere in 2025 and already commissioned by Nelonen Media as a Ruutu Original in Finland, has received development funding from IPR.VC, Take Two Studios’ venture capital investor partner.
“The book became a surprising smash hit. After all, it’s the debut of a Finnish author living in Iceland. Now, there is a sequel, which became another bestseller,” observed Eero Hietala of Take Two Studios.
“I think there were eight production companies competing for the rights at one point. Which, when you think about Finland’s size, means almost every production company. There’s something very special about this IP.”
But despite Hildur’s investigation, “family drama is still at its core,” he noted.
“There is hope, even though these are not some ‘cozy’ crimes. There is a serial killer on the loose, but the tragedy of Hildur, who basically lost her family as a child, is crucial here. As well as her discovering that perhaps her sisters are still alive.”
The company’s co-founder Sara Norberg added: “It’s a ‘Nordic Blue’ genre, which means it’s not only a well-built crime story, but also a character-driven relationship drama.”
“The story is not completely finished yet, but we are well on our way. We have a pilot script, written by Matti, and we are planning to write at least two more scripts this year. We are hoping to shoot next year in Iceland.”
The show’s spectacular setting in the Westfjords will play an important part too, noted Lasse Koskinen – “It’s a part of the world that hasn’t been really explored in TV series before” – already attracting potential partners.
“We have advanced conversations with world distributors,” he said, with Norberg stating:
“Our goal is to bring it to the widest global audience.”
The combination of lighter and darker themes might be the show’s secret weapon.
“Right now, people are looking for escapism. And whenever we talk about escapism, there are certain forces in the market that want it all pretty, light and cozy. I think this strikes the right balance between a thriller and the kind of entertainment that’s not a ‘downer.’ It makes a big difference and that’s what will keep the Nordic genre alive,” summed up Gutzeit, teasing more things to come.
“If we didn’t believe it was going to be a smash hit, continuing for a couple of seasons, we wouldn’t get involved.”
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