Thomas Vinterberg to Adapt Fantasy Novel ‘The Brothers Lionheart’ for Media Res

Thomas Vinterberg, the Oscar-winning director of Another Round, is turning to television for his next project, signing on to adapt the fantasy novel The Brothers Lionheart as a limited event series for The Morning Show producers Media Res.

Vinterberg will adapt the beloved children’s book, from Pippi Longstocking author Astrid Lindgren together with Tony and Olivier Award-winning British playwright Simon Stephens (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime). Both will executive produce the series together with Michael Ellenberg, Lars Blomgren and Lindsey Springer of Media Res, alongside The Astrid Lindgren Company.

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While not as well known outside internationally as Pippi Longstocking, Lindgren’s coming-of-age tale of two brothers, Karl and Jonathan Lion, in the mythical land of Nangiyala, and their battle against the evil tyrant Tengil, is a family classic in Scandinavia and has been translated into some 50 languages worldwide.

“The Brothers Lionheart is possibly the most important cultural legacy from my parents’ generation,” said Vinterberg. “It stands as a milestone from my childhood, shining vividly in my memory. The project is a great responsibility and, at the same time, a significant dream come true to create the series based on this immense and moving tale – and in that way, help pass it on to my children’s generation.”

Media Res, founded by Michael Ellenberg, are producers of AppleTV+’s The Morning Show and Pachinko, and the Amazon series I’m a Virgo.

Vinterberg, whose 2020 Danish feature Another Round starring Mads Mikkelsen, won the best international feature Oscar —and is getting an English-language remake with Chris Rock attached to direct —is currently in post-production on the Danish series Families Like Ours. Development on The Brothers Lionheart is set to begin later this month. Vinterberg’s feature film credits include the Oscar-nominated The Hunt (2012), also starring Mikkelsen, the 2015 British period drama Far from the Madding Crowd with Maestro star Carey Mulligan and 1998’s Bafta-nominated Dogme drama The Celebration.

Vinterberg is represented by Gersh in the US and Independent in the U.K.

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