Coster-Waldau to star in Headhunters Close
The internationally renowned Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau will play Clas Greve in the upcoming adaptation of Jo Nesbø’s Headhunters. Greve is nemesis to the main character Roger Brown played by Aksel Hennie.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau most recently starred in Danish action comedy At World’s End. Prior to that he played the lead role in the Fox TV series New Amsterdam. He has also appeared in such films as Black Hawk Down, Wimbledon and Kingdom of Heaven and is currently shooting the HBO series Game of Thrones.
- I am very excited about the role in Headhunters. I am a big fan of Nesbø’s book and I am also looking forward to play against Aksel Hennie – Norway’s equivalent to Mads Mikkelsen, said Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.
Director Morten Tyldum added:
- Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Aksel Hennie are two of Scandinavia’s top actors and we now have the foundation to make a real suspense-filled thriller.
Headhunters is an action thriller which introduces us to the charming villain Roger Brown, a man who seems to have it all: he is Norway’s most successful headhunter, married to the beautiful gallery owner Diana, owns a magnificent house – and is living larger than he should. Meanwhile, he is playing at the dangerous game of art theft. Headhunters is a story about deceit, faithfulness and revenge and at the same time a first class thriller.
Jo Nesbø is one of Norway’s most successful authors. When the newspaper Dagbladet ranked the best Norwegian criminal novels of all time, Jo Nesbø was the absolute favourite among the readers. The first three books on the list were all his and eight of his books were among the top thirteen. In Norway, Nesbø’s books have sold in two million copies and he is considered one of Europe´s top crime writers.
The Norwegian adaptation of Headhunters is a co-production between production companies Friland and Yellow Bird as well as the distributor Nordisk Film. Morten Tyldym (Buddy and Varg Veum) is to direct. Shooting is scheduled to begin in September this year. It is expected to premier on 26 August 2011.
For more information, please contact:
Marianne Gray, producer, Yellow Bird
marianne.gray@yellowbird.se
+46-708 71 79 24
Asle Vatn, producer, Friland
+47- 9098 3220
Ann-Mari Bergmark, press manager Nordisk Film
Annmari.bergmark@nordiskfilm.com
+46-8-587 822 85
23 Aug 2010
Coster-Waldau to star in Headhunters Close
The internationally renowned Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau will play Clas Greve in the upcoming adaptation of Jo Nesbø’s Headhunters. Greve is nemesis to the main character Roger Brown played by Aksel Hennie.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau most recently starred in Danish action comedy At World’s End. Prior to that he played the lead role in the Fox TV series New Amsterdam. He has also appeared in such films as Black Hawk Down, Wimbledon and Kingdom of Heaven and is currently shooting the HBO series Game of Thrones.
- I am very excited about the role in Headhunters. I am a big fan of Nesbø’s book and I am also looking forward to play against Aksel Hennie – Norway’s equivalent to Mads Mikkelsen, said Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.
Director Morten Tyldum added:
- Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Aksel Hennie are two of Scandinavia’s top actors and we now have the foundation to make a real suspense-filled thriller.
Headhunters is an action thriller which introduces us to the charming villain Roger Brown, a man who seems to have it all: he is Norway’s most successful headhunter, married to the beautiful gallery owner Diana, owns a magnificent house – and is living larger than he should. Meanwhile, he is playing at the dangerous game of art theft. Headhunters is a story about deceit, faithfulness and revenge and at the same time a first class thriller.
Jo Nesbø is one of Norway’s most successful authors. When the newspaper Dagbladet ranked the best Norwegian criminal novels of all time, Jo Nesbø was the absolute favourite among the readers. The first three books on the list were all his and eight of his books were among the top thirteen. In Norway, Nesbø’s books have sold in two million copies and he is considered one of Europe´s top crime writers.
The Norwegian adaptation of Headhunters is a co-production between production companies Friland and Yellow Bird as well as the distributor Nordisk Film. Morten Tyldym (Buddy and Varg Veum) is to direct. Shooting is scheduled to begin in September this year. It is expected to premier on 26 August 2011.
For more information, please contact:
Marianne Gray, producer, Yellow Bird
marianne.gray@yellowbird.se
+46-708 71 79 24
Asle Vatn, producer, Friland
+47- 9098 3220
Ann-Mari Bergmark, press manager Nordisk Film
Annmari.bergmark@nordiskfilm.com
+46-8-587 822 85
18 Aug 2010
Malin Crépin to play Annika Bengtzon Close
Malin Crépin will star as crime reporter Annika Bengtzon in the upcoming film adaptations of Liza Marklund’s books. Crépin last played the lead in Swedish film In Your Veins (original title I skuggan av värmen), which earned her a nomination at last year’s Guldbagge Awards. She is also a reputable stage actor, with acclaimed performances in several of Lars Norén’s plays. In 2008, she was named Rising Star at the Stockholm film festival.
- Annika Bengtzon is a versatile character. I find it particularly interesting that she is such a devoted and uncompromising journalist. I am looking forward to portraying her both as a private person and as a professional, said Malin Crépin.
It is also confirmed that Peter Flinth will direct the first film in the series, Nobel’s Last Will, which will be released theatrically. Flinth is one of Denmark’s top directors and has helmed e.g. the Arn films, the Wallander film Mastermind and episodes of the TV series Unit 1 (original title Rejseholdet).
- Nobel’s Last Will is to be a dynamic film that includes both classic thriller elements and modern features. Above all, the film will be exciting and entertaining with a main character and plot that keeps the audience glued to their seats, said Peter Flinth.
Liza Marklund commented on the choices of Crépin and Flinth:
- Malin Crépin and Peter Flinth have both impressed me in their previous work and I am very happy that they have chosen to participate in this project. It is almost spooky how similar Malin is to Annika. In my head, this is exactly how Annika looks and behaves, with that razor-sharp vulnerability.
Shooting will commence early 2011. Remaining cast and directors are not yet confirmed.
- Annika Bengtzon is a complicated character – devoted to her job and at the same time a bit of a social misfit. Malin Crépin feels completely right for the part. We are also proud to have Peter Flinth onboard as a director. He has the experience needed to deliver an exciting thriller and a magnificent cinema experience, said Jenny Gilbertsson, producer at Yellow Bird.
Yellow Bird produces the upcoming film series, together with TV4, ARD Degeto and Nordisk Film. The scripts are based on the books Studio Sex, Prime Time, The Red Wolf, Nobel’s Last Will, Lifetime and A Place in the Sun, which all centres around crime reporter Annika Bengtzon.
Nobel´s Last Will is scheduled to open on cinemas winter 2012, while the other films will be released straight on DVD. Nordisk Film is the Scandinavian cinema- and DVD distributor. All films will be broadcast on TV4 in Sweden and ARD in Germany.
- I am very happy that Malin Crépin will play Annika Bengtzon. Malin is a great actor and I am looking forward to see her as the hard-nosed and dedicated journalist Annika Bengtzon. Peter Flinth has directed several brilliant films and I am convinced that he will do a fantastic job with Nobel’s Last Will, said Åsa Sjöberg, Head of Programming at TV4.
Liza Marklund’s series about Annika Bengtzon have a huge following around the world. The so far eight books have sold in around nine million copies and are translated to thirty languages. Liza Marklund is currently writing the ninth book in the series.
For photos, please see http://press.tv4.se
For interview requests, please contact:
Malin Willers, press officer at TV4
malin.willers@tv4.se
+46-708 25 15 76
For more information, you can also contact:
Jenny Gilbertsson, producer, Yellow Bird
jenny.gilbertsson@yellowbird.se
+46-703 707 576
Ann-Mari Bergmark, PR manager Nordisk Film
annmari.bergmark@nordiskfilm.se
+46-708 79 22 85
29 Jun 2010
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo breaks $100 million mark Close
The first film in the Swedish Millennium trilogy, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, has grossed $ 103 million* at the box office worldwide making it one of the most successful European non-English speaking films of all time.
“This is beyond what we ever expected. For a film shot in a language spoken by merely nine million people, this kind of success is absolutely remarkable.” said Mikael Wallén, President of the production company Yellow Bird, part of the Zodiak Entertainment Group.
During the 2000s only five other non-English European films have grossed above $100 million. All of them are French and include Amélie ($174 million) and the recent hit Welcome to the Sticks ($245 million)*.
Outside Scandinavia, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (aka Men Who Hate Women) has been particularly successful in Spain ($14 million), France ($10 million) and the US ($8.7 million). The film is yet to be released in several major markets such as Russia and Mexico.
David Frank, CEO of Zodiak Entertainment, which also handles international sales of the trilogy said, “The Millennium trilogy is currently one of our most important assets. Around 50 territories have bought the first film and already some 30 countries have picked up the second and third.”
The second film in the trilogy, The Girl Who Played With Fire, opens in the US and the UK on July 2 and August 27 respectively. The final part, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest, will also get US and UK releases during the autumn. Taken together, the three films have so far grossed around $173 million worldwide.
Swedish company Yellow Bird has produced the trilogy, based on Stieg Larsson’s immensely popular books and together with broadcasters SVT and ZDF, as well as the distributor Nordisk Film. The Zodiak Entertainment group consists of more than 40 production companies in 18 territories and boasts a global sales distribution network based in London and Paris.
Yellow Bird is currently developing several new films based on Scandinavian bestsellers. The shooting of a Norwegian feature film adaptation of Jo Nesbö’s thriller novel Headhunters will begin in September, starring Aksel Hennie. The film will be produced together with Friland. In Sweden, the company is developing a series of six films based on Liza Marklund’s books featuring crime reporter Annika Bengtzon. Shooting is expected to start early next year.
For more information, please contact:
Mikael Wallén, President of Yellow Bird
mikael.wallen@yellowbird.se
+46-704 31 21 15
*Box Office Mojo reports a total worldwide gross for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo of $100,385,404. This figure however excludes box office in Canada of around $2.6 million. Gross figures for Amelie and Welcome to the Sticks are taken from Box Office Mojo. The foreign figures included therein do not necessarily add up to the foreign totals.
09 Jun 2010
Angela Kovács returns as Irene Huss Close
The first series of Irene Huss films, based on the books by Helene Tursten, has enjoyed massive success on DVD and on German TV. Now, Angela Kovács will return as the Gothenburg-based inspector in six new films. Lasse Brandeby and Reuben Sallmander will also once again appear in the team around Irene Huss. Shootings start in October. As previously, Illusion Film and Yellow Bird produce the films, in co-operation with Kanal 5, ARD Degeto, Nordisk Film and Film i Väst.
- I am looking forward to once again play Irene Huss and work with Lasse and Reuben and everyone else. I am very pleased with what we achieved in the first series and I am certain that we will be able to repeat the success, said Angela Kovács.
Hillevi Råberg, producer at Illusion Film, added:
- Irene Huss is popular since she is a modern and strong heroine who the audience can relate to. It is an exciting and unusual lead character to base crime stories upon. It will therefore be very exciting to produce a second film series.
The first film in the new series is based on Helene Tursten’s upcoming novel Den som vakar i mörkret (title not yet translated), which will be published 25 August 2010. The other films are based on the novels A man with a small face and The deceitful web and on original stories by Helene Tursten.
- Den som vakar i mörkret deals with the subject of stalking and the despair of victims of this. These days, when our lives are all over Internet, anyone can get a stalker on one’s throat, said Helene Tursten about her new book.
The first Irene Huss series has been very successful. In total, the six films have sold around 500,000 copies in Sweden. In Germany, the series was broadcast on ARD during 2009. Viewing figures averaged around three million with a viewing share of 15 percent. In Sweden, the films have so far only been broadcast on pay-TV, but during the autumn Kanal 5 will show all six films.
- Swedish crime stories are incredibly popular both in Sweden and around the world. The team behind these films are best in class and we are happy to be the TV partner both for the first and the upcoming series, said Lars Beckung, Head of Programming at Kanal 5.
The new films are scheduled for DVD release beginning autumn 2011, distributed by Nordisk Film. The films will also be broadcast on Germany´s largest TV channel ARD and on Kanal 5 in Sweden.
For more information, please contact:
Hillevi Råberg, producer, Illusion Film
hillevi@illusionfilm.se , +46-705 33 25 00
Daniel Ahlqvist, producer, Yellow Bird
daniel@yellowbird.se , +46-705 657 766
Corinna Björk, Press Officer, Kanal 5
Corinna.Bjork@kanal5.se , +46-701 865 288
Lone Korslund, Head of Co-productions, Nordisk Film Distribution
Lone.korslund@nordiskfilm.com , +45-40 75 85 94
06 Jun 2010
Branagh picks up Bafta for Wallander Close
At the 2010 BAFTA television awards, Kenneth Branagh was named Leading Actor as Wallander. It is the second consecutive year that the Wallander series receives Baftas. Last year the production picked up several awards, including best Drama Series.
- A series rarely receives awards two years in a row. This proves that we have managed to maintain the same high quality in the second Wallander series as in the first run, says Daniel Ahlqvist, producer at Yellow Bird.
The British Wallander films have been produced for the BBC by Swedish Yellow Bird together with Left Bank Pictures and Kenneth Branagh. The second series, comprising three new films based on Henning Mankell’s novels, was screened on BBC1 in January this year. Viewing figures continued to be high, averaging around six million. In Scandinavia, the films will be released on DVD during the autumn.
For more information, please contact:
Daniel Ahlqvist, producer, Yellow Bird
+46-705 657 766
daniel@yellowbird.se
06 May 2010
Aksel Hennie to play lead in Headhunters Close
One of Norway’s most acclaimed actors, Aksel Hennie, has signed on to play the lead Roger Brown in the adaptation of Jo Nesbø’s best seller Headhunters. Hennie last starred in the Norwegian World War II blockbuster Max Manus. At the moment, he is shooting the British film Age of Heroes, directed by Adrian Vitoria. The Norwegian adaptation of Headhunters is a co-production between production companies Friland and Yellow Bird as well as the distributor Nordisk Film. Morten Tyldym (Buddy and Varg Veum) is to direct.
- To me, Aksel was the only candidate to play the lead in Headhunters. We are going to make driven action in Jo Nesbø’s spirit and we need an actor with a large repertory. Ever since we made Buddy together, we have looked for a new joint project and with Headhunters we have suceeded with this, says director Morten Tyldum.
Headhunters is an action thriller which introduces us to the charming villain Roger Brown, a man who seems to have it all: he is Norway’s most successful headhunter, married to the beautiful gallery owner Diana, owns a magnificent house – and is living larger than he should. Meanwhile, he is playing at the dangerous game of art theft. Headhunters is a story about deceit, faithfulness and revenge and at the same time a first class thriller. Shooting is scheduled to begin in August this year. It is expected to premier on 26 August 2011.
Jo Nesbø is one of Norway’s most successful authors. When the newspaper Dagbladet ranked the best Norwegian criminal novels of all time, Jo Nesbø was the absolute favourite among the readers. The first three books on the list were all his and eight of his books were among the top thirteen. In Norway, Nesbø’s books have sold in two million copies and he is considered one of Europe´s top crime writers.
For more information, please contact:
Marianne Gray, producer, Yellow Bird
marianne.gray@yellowbird.se
+46-708 71 79 24
Asle Vatn, producer, Friland
+47- 9098 3220
Ann-Mari Bergmark, press manager Nordisk Film
Annmari.bergmark@nordiskfilm.com
+46-8-587 822 85
26 Apr 2010
Michael Nyqvist to star in The Man From Beijing Close
Today is the first day of shooting for the German film adaptation of Henning Mankell’s novel The Man From Beijing. The Swedish acclaimed actor Michael Nyqvist will play one of the main parts. The Man From Beijing is produced by Yellow Bird’s German subsidiary Yellow Bird Pictures and will be shot as a 2x90 minutes TV mini series. Yellow Bird has previously produced the Millennium films based on Stieg Larssons novels, which also starred Michael Nyqvist in one of the leading roles as journalist Mikael Blomkvist.
- We are delighted to work once again with Michael Nyqvist, who is a fantastic actor. We are also glad to be able to provide opportunities for Swedish actors to reach a larger audience by participating in international productions. The Man From Beijing is a large and prestigious production, which both our German company and we have high expectations for, said Ole Søndberg, executive producer at Yellow Bird.
The story in The Man from Beijing starts with a mass murder in a small village in the north of Sweden. When the judge Birgitta Roslin reads about the horrible event she realises that she is related to several of the victims. Unofficially, she starts to dig into the case. The trails lead her both to the US in the 1860’s as well as to today’s China. Michael Nyqvist plays the part of Birgitta Roslin’s husband Staffan. German actress Suzanne von Borsody plays Birgitta Roslin. The films will be shot in Austria, Taiwan and Sweden.
The novel The Man From Beijing was published in Sweden in 2008 and has since been sold to 25 countries, including Germany, the US, the UK and Spain. In Germany – where Henning Mankell is immensely popular – the book has sold in 250,000 copies.
The adaptation of the The Man From Beijing is a co-production of Yellow Bird Pictures in Germany, Yellow Bird in Sweden and Lotus Film, in co-operation with Degeto Film for the broadcasters ARD/Das Erste in Germany and ORF in Austria, with support of RTR Fernsehfonds Austria and Niederösterreich.
For more information, please contact:
Ole Søndberg, executive producer, Yellow Bird
ole.sondberg@yellowbird.se
+45-20 20 35 40
For inquiries about interviews with Michael Nyqvist, please contact:
Aleksandra Mandic
aleksandra@agentfirman.com
+46 736 00 96 20
25 Mar 2010
Entire Millennium trilogy on US cinemas Close
It has been confirmed that all three films in the Millennium trilogy will get cinematic release in the US. The first film, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, opened last Friday (19 march) and grossed 340,000 USD at the box office during the first weekend. This is equivalent of around 30,000 visitors, which is a very strong opening for a foreign film. The American distributor Music Box films has therefore decided to release the sequels The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest on cinemas beginning in summer 2010.
- We are pleased that The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo has been received so well in the US, both by the cinema audience and by critics. It is a very tough market to enter and it is therefore a great success for us that that film two and three will also be released, said Mikael Wallén, MD of the production company Yellow Bird.
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo also opened recently in the UK (12 March). The film is currently number five at the UK box office, with a total of so far 150,000 visitors. At the same time, the extended TV versions of the films have started to broadcast. Last Saturday, 20 March, 1.5 million people watched the first part of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (aka Men Who Hate Women) at the Swedish channel SVT. This was equivalent to a viewing share of 43 percent. Last Monday, 22 March, Canal+ broadcast the first part in France. Eighteen percent (1.2 million) of the channel’s subscribers in the country watched the programme, which was the best opening of a foreign series at Canal+ this year.
The adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy is produced by Yellow Bird, together with broadcasters SVT and ZDF, as well as the distributor Nordisk Film.
For more information, please contact:
Mikael Wallén, MD of Yellow Bird: mikael.wallen@yellowbird.se, +46-704 31 21 15
23 Mar 2010
Liza Marklund films in development Close
The production company Yellow Bird has together with TV4, Nordisk film and ARD Degeto in Germany initiated the development of a film series based on novels by Liza Marklund. Scripts will be based on the books Studio Sex, Prime Time, The Red Wolf, Nobel’s Last Will, Lifetime and A Place in the Sun, which all centre around crime reporter Annika Bengtzon.
- It feels fantastic to be able to offer viewers of TV4 six films based on Liza Marklund’s incredibly popular books. I hope and believe that the viewers will be thrilled by Annika Bengtzon’s and her life as an ambitious crime reporter, says Åsa Sjöberg, Director of Programs, The TV4 Group.
Liza Marklund’s series about Annika Bengtzon has a loyal fan base all over the world. The so far eight books have sold around nine million copies and have been translated to thirty languages. Liza Marklund is currently writing the ninth book in the series.
- We have quickly got this project up and running. We have found writers and co-producers who are all very engaged, which is wonderful, says Jenny Gilbertsson, producer at Yellow Bird.
The scriptwriters are Pernilla Oljelund, Stefan Thunberg, Alex Haridi and Antonia Pyk. All six films will be broadcast by TV4 in Sweden and ARD in Germany. Nobel’s Last Will is also to get cinematic release, while the other films will go straight to DVD. Nordisk film is the Nordic cinema and DVD distributor.
- We are happy to offer the Nordic audience these films based on books written by Scandinavia’s undisputed queen of crime Liza Marklund, says Lone Korslund, Head of Co-productions, Nordisk Film.
Shootings are expected to start early 2011. Cast and directors are yet not confirmed.
For more information, please contact:
Jennifer McShane, Head of Press, the TV4 Group: jennifer.mcshane@tv4.se or +46-702 108 115
Jenny Gilbertsson, producer, Yellowbird: jenny.gilbertsson@yellowbird.se or +46-703 707 576
Lone Korslund, Head of Co-productions, Nordisk Film Distribution: lone.korslund@nordiskfilm.com or +45 40 75 85 94
16 Mar 2010
Record Swedish DVD sales for Millennium Close
The sales success for the films in the Millennium trilogy continues. The three films Men Who Hate Women (aka The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo), The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ nest have together sold more than 1.1 million copies on DVD and Blu-ray in Sweden.
Sales have been the highest for Men Who Hate Women/The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. With 365,000 copies sold it is the best selling Swedish film on DVD in Sweden ever. With regards to Blu-ray it is the second most sold film in Sweden ever (including foreign films), outperformed only by Batman: The Dark Knight.
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo opened on cinemas in the UK on Friday 12 March. It was released in 114 copies. In the US, the film premiers on Friday 19 March.
02 Mar 2010
BBC acquires second season of Swedish Wallander Close
The thirteen new Swedish Wallander films, starring Krister Henriksson, have been acquired by BBC4. The series has also been sold to France (M6 Group), Canada (Télé Québec), Russia (Teleseriya TV), Belgium (Lumière), Poland (Canal +), Bosnia and Serbia (Kip). BBC4 has previously shown the first thirteen Swedish Wallander films, which was the first time BBC aired a Swedish crime series.
- We’re delighted that BBC has already decided to acquire the films, as some of them are still in postproduction. We will be announcing further sales to major territories in the coming months, says Mikael Wallén, MD at Yellow Bird.
In Sweden, the first nine films have been released on DVD. The remaining four will be released during the spring. The series is produced by Yellow Bird in cooperation with TV4 and SF in Sweden and ARD/Degeto in Germany.
For more information, please contact:
Mikael Wallén, MD at Yellow Bird
mikael.wallen@yellowbird.se
+46-704 31 21 15
25 Feb 2010
Jo Nesbø adaptation supported Close
The Norwegian Film Institute announced today that it grants financial support to the film adaptation of Jo Nesbø’s novel Headhunters. The film will be co-produced by production companies Friland and Yellow Bird, as well as the distributor Nordisk Film. Morten Tyldum (Buddy and Varg Veum) is the director.
- Morten is very engaged in this and he has a strong feel for the story and its characters. His visions for Headhunters are such that we have very high expectations on the film, commented Yellow Bird’s producer Marianne Gray.
Jo Nesbø is one of Norway’s most successful authors. When the newspaper Dagbladet ranked the best Norwegian criminal novels of all time, Jo Nesbø was the absolute favourite among the readers. The first three books on the list were all his and eight of his books were among the top thirteen. In Norway, Nesbø’s books have sold in two million copies and he is considered one of Europe´s top crime writers.
Headhunters is a stand-alone thriller about Roger Brown, Norway´s most successful headhunter. The unscrupulous Brown leads a life of excess and finances his extravagance by way of dangerous art thefts. When he meets the Dutchman Clas Greve he sees the chance to become financially independent and starts planning his biggest hit ever. But soon he runs into trouble – and it’s not financial problems that are threatening to bring him down this time.
For more information, please contact:
Marianne Gray, producer at Yellow Bird
marianne.gray@yellowbird.se
+46-708 71 79 24
Asle Vatn, producer at Friland
+47- 9098 3220
Ann-Mari Bergmark, press manager Nordisk Film
Annmari.bergmark@nordiskfilm.com
+46-8-587 822 85
26 Jan 2010
Millennium producer comments on the Guldbagge Awards Close
At yesterday’s Guldbagge Awards 2009 in Stockholm, Men Who Hate Women (aka The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) picked up prizes in three categories: Best Picture, The Audience Award and Best Actress in a Leading Role (Noomi Rapace for Lisbeth Salander).
Søren Staermose, producer at Yellow Bird, comments:
-The fact that we won both Best Picture and The Audience Award shows that this film has been very popular with both the Swedish people and the Guldbagge jury, which is a fantastic recognition. I am also excited over Noomi´s award, which she really deserved. In all countries where the film has opened, people have told me that she is just as they imagined Lisbeth Salander when reading the books. Her achievement has thus been very important for the popularity of the film.
Men Who Hate Women (aka The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) has now sold to 38 territories. So far, 7.5 million have seen the film in the 20 countries where it has opened. During 2010 it will premier in the US, the UK, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, South Korea and Singapore, among other countries.
In total, the films in the Millennium trilogy (Men Who Hate Women/The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest) have attracted an audience of close to 13 million.
For more information, please contact:
Søren Staermose
Producer
soren@yellowbird.se
+46-707 61 60 71
05 Jan 2010
Acclaimed return for Wallander on BBC Close
On Sunday 4 January, BBC One began to broadcast the second season of Wallander, starring Kenneth Branagh. The first film to be shown was Faceless Killers, which was seen by an audience of 5.5 million. The number corresponds to a viewing share of 20 percent. Faceless Killers is based on the Henning Mankell novel with the same title. The film was very well received in British press following Sunday’s broadcast. The Times stated: ”It’s a bleak and brilliant performance at the heart of a beautifully made film. Back for a new series, Wallander is a class act”. The Telegraph similarly wrote: ”The return last night to BBC One of the Swedish detective […] made for top-notch drama”.
”It is great to see that both critics and viewers continue to appreciate our films”, says Daniel Ahlqvist, producer at Yellow Bird. ”Now, we hope that Kenneth Branagh will receive a Golden Globe for best actor on January 17 as well”.
On January 10 and 17 BBC One will broadcast the remaining two films, The Fifth Woman and The Man Who Smiled, also based on Mankell books. The films are produced by Yellow Bird together with Left Bank Pictures and are shot in Ystad, Sweden.
For more information, please contact:
Daniel Ahlqvist
Producer
daniel@yellowbird.se
+46-705 65 77 66
02 Nov 2009
Millennium producer receives Spanish film award Close
Søren Stærmose, the producer behind the adaptations of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy, has received the Seville European Film Festival’s award to industry professionals. The award is in recognition of the Swede’s successful career in various film markets. Søren Staermose has a long experience as a producer in Scandinavia. Among other things he has previously produced the early Martin Beck films based on the novels by Sjöwall/Wahlöö. Since 2005 he works for the production company Yellow Bird where he has most recently produced the three films in the Millennium trilogy - Men Who Hate Women (aka The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo), The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest. When awarding the prize, the Seville Film Festival specifically recognised the production model that Yellow Bird and Søren Stærmose are working with. Yellow Bird usually produces a series of films together with and for broadcasters in several countries, with one or more of the films also released on cinemas. The adaptation of the Millennium trilogy is the most successful example of this model, but other Yellow Bird projects, such as the Swedish series of Wallander films, has a similar set-up.
Søren Stærmose commented:
”I am glad that both my own and the company’s work is recognised by this award. Our way of working means that our productions can be done with a higher budget than is usually the case in Scandinavia. I think that this is one of several reasons for why the Millennium films have proved so successful.”
Søren Stærmose will receive the award at the opening gala of the Seville European Film Festival on November 6. Spain is the country where Men Who Hate Women (aka The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) has had the highest number of cinema visitors (1.6 million). When The Girl Who Played With Fire recently opened in the country it went straight to the second place on the box office.
For more information, please contact:
Søren Stærmose
Producer
soren@yellowbird.se
+46-707 61 60 71
05 Oct 2009
Men who hate women to open in the US Close
The first feature film in the Millennium trilogy, Men Who Hate Women (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo in the UK and the US), has been acquired by Chicago-based Music Box Films for US distribution. The film is scheduled to premier on cinemas in March 2010.
"We are extremely pleased to offer US audiences the opportunity to see the riveting The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, one of the most talked about international films of the year", says Edward Arentz, Managing Director at Music Box.
Men Who Hate Women (aka The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo) has now sold to more than 30 countries in total*. It has attracted more than 6.6 million visitors and grossed almost $100million at the box office – making it the world’s third biggest earning foreign language film of 2009. It was also recently nominated for the People’s Choice Award by the European Film Academy.
"We have eagerly awaited a distribution deal for Men Who Hate Women in the USA. The success in Europe has of course helped to get this in place. It will be interesting to see how the US audience will receive the film", says Søren Staermose, producer at Yellow Bird.
The second film in the Millennium trilogy, The Girl Who Played With Fire, premiered in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland on September 18 and has so far attracted more than one million visitors in the four countries. The third film, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest, will be launched in Scandinavia on November 27.
The adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s best selling Millennium trilogy, starring Michael Nyqvist and Noomi Rapace, is produced by Yellow Bird together with broadcasters SVT and ZDF/ZDF Enterprises, the distributor Nordisk Film, Film i Väst and Filmpool Stockholm Mälardalen. Outside the Nordic countries, Zodiak Entertainment distributes the films.
For more information, please contact:
Søren Staermose
Producer
soren.staermose@yellowbird.se
+46-707 61 60 71
*A full list of countries the film has sold to is available on request.
21 Sep 2009
Opening success for the second Millennium movie Close
This weekend, almost 477 000 Scandinavian cinema visitors went to see The girl who played with fire - beating the opening for Men who hate women.
The girl who played with fire opened in cinemas on Friday 18 September in Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland. The movie, based on the second book in Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy, had 476,824 visitors in total in the four countries (179,222 in Sweden, 181,225 in Denmark, 103,631 in Norway and 12,746 in Finland). The figures reveal a stronger opening than the first film in the trilogy, Men who hate women, in all countries.
”We are delighted that the massive interest in Millennium continues. So many people appreciated the first movie and it is great that they have returned to see more,” says Mikael Wallen, MD of the film’s production company Yellow Bird.
”It is fantastic to see that The girl who played with fire attracted even more visitors than the first film. This is a fantastic series of films and we are happy and proud to be distributing them”, says Pia Grünler, Head of film distribution at Nordisk Film.
The girl who played with fire premiered at 183 cinemas in Sweden, 124 in Denmark, 114 in Norway and 41 in Finland. The movie opens on 25 September and 23 October in Italy and Spain respectively.
The adaptation of the Millennium trilogy, starring Noomi Rapace and Michael Nyqvist, has been produced by Yellow Bird along with the Swedish broadcaster SVT and German broadcaster ZDF/ZDF Enterprises, as well as the distributor Nordisk Film.
For more information, please contact:
Mikael Wallén, MD of Yellow Bird
mikael.wallen@yellowbird.se
+46-704 31 21 15
Martin Strömberg, press manager for The girl who played with fire
martin@strombergpr.se
+46-707-716 447
10 Sep 2009
Liza Marklund - next big thing for Yellow Bird Close
Production company Yellow Bird, which has been behind the recent international cinema hit Men Who Hate Women, is now planning a major new Swedish movie project. The company has acquired film rights to six of best-selling author Liza Marklund’s books featuring the criminal reporter Annika Bengtzon. Plans to produce movies for the Scandinavian and international markets are currently underway for each of the six titles: Studio Sex, Prime Time, The Red Wolf, Nobel’s Last Will, Lifetime and A Place in the Sun.
“The opportunity to adapt Liza Marklund’s books is a dream come true for us. Annika Bengtzon is such a fantastically composed main character – both endearing and unnerving in her dedication to her work. We’re delighted that we now have the opportunity to recreate these great stories to their full potential on the screen”, said Jenny Gilbertsson, producer at Yellow Bird.
Liza Marklund’s Annika Bengtzon series has a loyal following all over the world. The eight books have sold more than nine million copies internationally and have been translated into 30 languages. Liza Marklund is currently working on the ninth book in the series.
“After Colin Nutley’s movies The Bomber and Paradise, which I was very pleased with, I have turned down a lot of offers to adapt my books into films. It wasn’t until I met Yellow Bird that it felt completely right. In them I have found a team that has the capability to care for and preserve the essence of the Annika Bengtzon character. I look forward to a long and rewarding relationship with Yellow Bird,” said Liza Marklund.
The forthcoming movie series is in the early stages of development. The film’s casting, script writers and directors are yet to be announced. Filming is expected to start at the end of 2010 with an estimated budget of approximately SEK 100 million.
For more information, please contact:
Yellow Bird
Jenny Gilbertsson, Producer
jenny.gilbertsson@yellowbird.se
+46-703 707 576
Liza Marklund
Niclas Lövkvist
+46-709 15 25 90
04 Aug 2009
Millennium a major box office hit Close
Yellow Bird’s first feature film in the Millennium trilogy, Men Who Hate Women, is the world’s third biggest earning foreign language film of 2009. In total it has now grossed more than €50 million at the box office with a total number of visitors in excess of six million. Furthermore, the film has also recently sold to Germany, Japan, Austria, South Korea and Portugal. Those countries follow in the footsteps of the UK, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxemburg, Switzerland, Poland, Greece, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Canada and Australia, where the film has already been picked up.
Men who hate women, based on Stieg Larsson’s best selling book, has so far had its biggest success in the Nordic countries (2.8 million visitors), France (1,2 million) and Spain (1,22 million). On Friday this week the film will open in the Netherlands and in Germany the release is scheduled for October 1.
- I am delighted that Men who hate women is now also starting to sell to countries where the book hasn’t enjoyed the same enormous popularity. This, together with the box office success, proves that the film is good enough to live on its own merits, says Mikael Wallén, MD of Yellow Bird.
Men who hate women (aka The girl with the dragon tattoo), starring Michael Nyqvist and Noomi Rapace, is produced by Yellow Bird together with broadcasters SVT and ZDF/ZDF Enterprises, as well as the distributor Nordisk Film. Yellow Bird is also producing the second and third part of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy. The girl who played with fire will premier simultaneously in Sweden, Norway and Denmark on September 18. In Finland the film will open one week later. The girl who kicked the hornets’ nest will subsequently be released November 27 on cinemas in Sweden, Norway and Denmark, and in January in Finland.
For more information, please contact:
Mikael Wallén, MD of Yellow Bird
mikael.wallen@yellowbird.se
+46-704 31 21 15
16 Jul 2009
Wallander nominated for EMMY Awards Close
The UK version of Wallander, produced by Yellow Bird and Left Bank Pictures for the BBC, has been honored by The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences with two nominations for the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards.
Kenneth Branagh was recognized in the Outstanding Lead Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie category for his performance in Wallander: One Step Behind.
Philip Martin has also been nominated for his work on Wallander: One Step Behind in the category of Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special.
Other nominations include Lukas Strebel, DOP, and Barbara Kidd, Costume Designer, who are currently working with Yellow Bird on the production of the second series.
For more information, please contact:
Daniel Ahlqvist, producer
daniel@yellowbird.se
+46-705 65 77 66
03 Jun 2009
International success continues for Men who hate women Close
Yellow Bird´s first feature film in the Millennium trilogy – Men Who Hate Women – has over the last weeks successfully opened on cinemas in France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland and Canada. So far, it has received huge interest. In Spain and Italy the film is number two and three respectively on the box office since its opening on Friday last week. In France it is number four after nearly three weeks of showing. Total admissions in the six countries are around 1.3 million, where of around 850,000 in France, 150,000 in Italy and 220,000 in Spain. In the Nordic countries the film has also been very successful, with an audience of 2.6 million since its premier in February/March.
Moreover, the film has just been sold to five new territories, including the UK and Australia, with more than 15 others showing a strong interest and likely to close deals imminently. Apart from the UK and Australia, the film was picked up by Greece, Mexico and Argentina, joining distributors in France, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Canada and Poland that had already acquired the rights to the film.
- It is very rare for a non-English speaking film to obtain this kind of extensive international distribution. We are very pleased that our adaptations of Stieg Larsson’s fantastic books have so much appeal to buyers all over the world, says Mikael Wallén, Managing Director of Yellow Bird.
Men who hate women (aka The girl with the dragon tattoo), starring Michael Nyqvist and Noomi Rapace, is based on Stieg Larsson’s best seller and produced by Yellow Bird together with broadcasters SVT and ZDF/ZDF Enterprises, as well as the distributor Nordisk Film. Yellow Bird is also adapting the second and third part of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy. The girl who played with fire is to premier simultaneously in Sweden, Norway and Denmark on September 18. In Finland the film will open one week later. The girl who kicked the hornets’ nest will subsequently be released November 27 on cinemas in Sweden, Norway and Denmark, and in January in Finland.
For more information, please contact:
Mikael Wallén, MD of Yellow Bird
mikael.wallen@yellowbird.se
+46-704 31 21 15
21 May 2009
Men who hate women a success in France Close
Production company Yellow Bird’s feature film Men who hate women (aka The girl with the dragon tattoo) was the second most visited film in France during its first week of screening, with total admissions of 446 618. Millennium – le film, which is the French title, was more popular during the week than both X-men Origins and Star Trek. Critics in France have also been generally positive. Among others, the papers Le Figaro and Le Point gave the film the highest possible marks. Figaro wrote: “Noomi Rapace, the star find of the film makes for a perfect Lisbeth, edgy and intensely rebellious”. Le Point was of the opinion that “The film takes its time and with a restrained style devoid of all pomp it succeeds where “The Da Vinci Code” failed as an adaptation of a best-seller.” (For a list of some critics’ comments see for example http://www.commeaucinema.com/critiques=138630.html).
Stieg Larsson’s three books in the Millennium trilogy have been very successful in France, with more than three million copies sold. On the back of this, the adaptation of the first book has received huge attention in the country. Millennium – le film opened at more than 550 cinemas and is being massively marketed. At the Cannes film festival a big Millennium party was held attracting a thousand or so visitors. In its special edition prior to the festival, the French trade magazine Film Francais covered the film in an eight pages long report. Yellow Bird’s producer Sören Staermose comments on the attention surrounding the French opening of Millennium:
- The film has been received in a fantastic way in Cannes and France the last week, for which I am incredibly happy. Besides entertaining and engaging many people, both the film and the books have triggered a debate among the French concerning oppression of women in the world. It is a great victory for the writer and feminist Stieg Larsson.
In Belgium, Men who hate women opened on May 20 and in Italy and Spain it will premier on May 29. Yellow Bird has produced the film together with the broadcasters SVT and ZDF/ZDF Enterprises, as well as the distributor Nordisk film.
For more information, please contact:
Sören Staermose, producer at Yellow Bird
soren@yellowbird.se
+46-707 61 60 71
19 May 2009
Wallander picks up further BAFTAs Close
The film series Wallander, where Yellow Bird is one of the producers, picked up four prizes during the BAFTA craft awards this weekend. Wallander took home awards for original television music, production design, sound (fiction/entertainment), and photography and lighting (fiction/entertainment). During the BAFTA TV awards earlier this year, Wallander won in the best drama series category. During the summer of 2009 three more films are being shot in Ystad, Sweden, again starring Kenneth Branagh.
- We are pleased to being able to shoot the second series of Wallander already this year. The success of the first three films is evidence of the strength in international co-productions. By shooting in Ystad with a film team consisting of people from Sweden, Denmark and the UK we have managed to create English films that still bear a strong Scandinavian mark, says Daniel Ahlqvist, producer at Yellow Bird.
Between 5.3-6.2 million viewers watched the first three films as they were shown on BBC1. The series has been sold to more than fourteen countries, including the US where the first film had more than four million viewers. In Sweden, TV4 will show the series later this year.
The upcoming three films are based on Henning Mankell´s books Faceless Killers, The Fifth Woman and The Man Who Smiled. They are again produced for the BBC by Yellow Bird, Left Bank Pictures, WGBH and Kenneth Branagh’s company TKBC.
For more information, please contact:
Daniel Ahlqvist, producer
daniel@yellowbird.se
+46-705 65 77 66
12 May 2009
Yellow Bird options Nesbø’s Headhunters Close
Production company Yellow Bird has optioned the film rights to Norwegian best selling writer Jo Nesbø’s most recent novel Headhunters (original title Hodejegerne) with a view to developing a Norwegian feature film based on the book.
- Jo Nesbø is a fantastic writer and a great person to work with. Headhunters is both entertaining and riveting and we believe that the strength of this story together with Jo’s sales success worldwide will make for another highly successful feature film with huge international potential, says Marianne Gray, producer at Yellow Bird.
The book Headhunters has so far been sold to ten countries including France, Germany and the Netherlands. It has been well received by critics and readers alike and recently won the Norwegian Book Club Prize for best novel of the year 2008. Also, with his seven internationally acclaimed crime novels featuring Detective Harry Hole, Jo Nesbø has achieved an unparalleled success both in Norway and abroad. The series, translated into thirty-seven languages, has been praised by international critics and turned Nesbø into one of Europe’s most important crime writers.
Headhunters is a stand-alone thriller about Roger Brown, Norway´s most successful headhunter. The unscrupulous Brown leads a life of excess and finances his extravagance by way of dangerous art thefts. When he meets the Dutchman Clas Greve he sees the chance to become financially independent and starts planning his biggest hit ever. But soon he runs into trouble – and it’s not financial problems that are threatening to bring him down this time.
- It is exciting to see Headhunters becoming a film. In the past I’ve turned down numerous requests to film the Harry Hole series because it’s an ongoing process but Headhunters is a completed story. Also, all my proceeds go to the Harry Hole foundation to battle illiteracy among children, says Jo Nesbø.
The script for the film is underway and production is expected to begin 2010.
With this project, Yellow Bird continues to strengthen its presence in Norway. Together with Monster Film, the company is already in development of a series of six films based on Norwegian crime writer Anne Holt’s successful books about inspector Yngvar Stubø and Inger Johanne Vik – a psychologist and lawyer with a previous career in the FBI.
Yellow Bird has previously produced the British drama series Wallander together with Left Bank Pictures and Kenneth Branagh for the BBC. At the recent BAFTA TV awards, Wallander won the prize for best drama series. Yellow Bird is also the production company behind the adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s best selling Millennium trilogy. The film based on the first book, Men Who Hate Women (aka The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) has been a huge success at cinemas in Scandinavia with around 2.6 million admissions to date. It will soon open in several other European countries, including France, Italy and Spain.
For more information, please contact:
Marianne Gray, producer at Yellow Bird
marianne.gray@yellowbird.se
+46-708 71 79 24
27 Apr 2009
Yellow Bird wins BAFTA for Wallander Close
Yellow Bird is the first Swedish production company ever to have won the British BAFTA TV award for best drama series. The award went to the series Wallander, produced for the BBC by Yellow Bird together with Left Bank Pictures and Kenneth Branagh.
-This award is evidence of the strength of both British and Scandinavian film production. The series was shot in Ystad in Sweden with a film team consisting of people from Sweden, Denmark and the UK. It has been an international co-production in the true sense of the word and all involved are very happy for the achievement, says Mikael Wallén, MD of Yellow Bird.
Wallander is comprised of the three films Sidetracked, Firewall and One step behind, starring Kenneth Branagh as inspector Kurt Wallander. The films are based on books by Henning Mankell and have been released on DVD in the UK, Sweden and Norway.
Wallander was successfully screened on BBC1 at the end of last year. The number of viewers was between 5.3-6.2 million and the corresponding viewing shares amounted to between 22-24 percent.
For more information, please contact:
Mikael Wallén, MD of Yellow Bird
mikael.wallen@yellowbird.se
+46-704 31 21 15
Daniel Ahlqvist, Producer
daniel@yellowbird.se
+46-705 65 77 66
23 Apr 2009
Second Millennium film opens in Scandinavia in September Close
It is now definite when the remaining two films in the Millennium trilogy will open on cinemas. The girl who played with fire is to premier simultaneously in Sweden, Norway and Denmark on September 18. In Finland the film will open one week later. The girl who kicked the hornets’ nest will subsequently be released November 27 on cinemas in Sweden, Norway and Denmark, and in January in Finland.
- The last two films will focus to an even greater extent on Lisbeth Salander and her story. All Salander fans will definitely be satisfied, says Sören Staermose, producer at Yellow Bird.
Meanwhile, the success for Men who hate women (aka The girl with the dragon tattoo) continues, with a total number of visitors on cinemas in the Nordic countries of more than 2.4 million. The film will open in France on May 13 and in Italy and Spain on May 29.
Men who hate women (aka The girl with the dragon tattoo), The girl who played with fire and The girl who kicked the hornets´ nest are all based on Stieg Larsson’s best selling books in the Millennium trilogy and are produced by Yellow Bird together with the broadcasters SVT and ZDF as well as the distributor Nordisk Film.
For more information, please contact:
Sören Staermose, Producer at Yellow Bird
soren@yellowbird.se
+46-707 61 60 71
20 Apr 2009
One million admissions for Men who hate women in Sweden Close
After only seven weeks on cinemas, Men who hate women (aka The girl with the dragon tattoo) has had more than one million visitors in Sweden. Total admissions in the Nordic countries are close to 2.5 million. In both Denmark and Norway it is the most seen Swedish film ever.
- We are very proud of the success in Sweden, but also of the fact that Nordisk Film has managed so well in promoting a Swedish film in the other Nordic countries, says Pia Grünler, Head of Distribution at Nordisk Film in Sweden.
Men who hate women (aka The girl with the dragon tattoo) opens on cinemas in france on May 13 and in Italy and Spain on May 29.
- We are very happy for the success in the Nordic countries and are now looking forward with excitement to see how the films will be received in the rest of Europe, says Sören Staermose, producer at Yellow Bird.
Men who hate women (aka The girl with the dragon tattoo) is based on the first book in Stieg Larsson’s best selling Millennium trilogy. The film has been produced by Yellow Bird together with broadcasters SVT and ZDF, as well as the distributor Nordisk Film.
For more information, please contact:
Sören Staermose, Producer at Yellow Bird
soren@yellowbird.se
+46-707 61 60 71
14 Apr 2009
Yellow Bird behind Mankell adaptations in Germany Close
The production company Yellow Bird is currently producing a German two part TV film based on Henning Mankell’s novel Kennedy´s brain. At the same time, Yellow Bird’s subsidiary in Germany (Yellow Bird Pictures) is developing an adaptation of Mankell’s most recent novel, The Chinese, also as a two part film.
"When we launched our German subsidiary, the ambition was to base the first productions on rights that Yellow Bird already controlled, in order to quickly get a foothold on the market. With the development of The Chinese, this strategy has now proven successful", says Ole Söndberg, Executive Producer at Yellow Bird.
The Chinese is an international, political thriller and is being developed for the German broadcaster ARD together with script writers Léonie-Claire and Fred Breinersdorfer. The plan is to commence shootings in Sweden and Asia during 2010.
Kennedy’s brain is a drama thriller about a mother´s search for the truth about her son’s death. The series is co-produced with the German production companies Bavaria Pictures and Degeto Film, likewise for ARD. The cast include several famous Swedish actors, such as Michael Nyqvist, Rolf Lassgård, Julia Dufvenius and Andreas Wilson. The leading role is played by the famous German actress Iris Berben. The director is Urs Egger, who has previously directed the German version of Henning Mankell’s The return of the dancing master. The film is currently being shot in South Africa, Moçambique, Sweden and Germany and will be broadcast by ARD during 2010.
For more information, please contact:
Ole Söndberg, Executive Producer at Yellow Bird
ole.sondberg@yellowbird.se
+45-20 20 35 40
02 Apr 2009
Kenneth Branagh awarded for Wallander Close
At the recent BPG Television and Radio Awards, Kenneth Branagh was named best actor for his performance as the Swedish detective Kurt Wallander in the three-part Wallander series on BBC One. The BPG (Broadcasting Press Guild) is an association of journalists who specialise in writing and broadcasting about television, radio and the media generally.
Wallander is comprised of the three films Sidetracked, Firewall and One step behind. The films are based on books by Henning Mankell and are produced by Yellow Bird together with Left Bank Pictures and Kenneth Branagh.
Wallander was successfully screened on BBC One in the end of last year. The number of viewers was between 5.3-6.2 million and the corresponding viewing shares amounted to between 22-24 percent. British critics were also very positive. Among others, The Times wrote that “this distinctly superior cop show is both spare and suggestive, and brilliantly acted”.
For more information, please contact:
Daniel Ahlqvist, producer
daniel@yellowbird.se
+46-705 65 77 66
25 Mar 2009
British Wallander BAFTA nominated Close
The English series Wallander has been nominated in the British Academy of Film and Television Arts' (Bafta) TV awards for best drama series. It is competing against Doctor Who, Shameless and Spooks.
Wallander is comprised of the three films Sidetracked, Firewall and One step behind, starring Kenneth Branagh as inspector Kurt Wallander. The films are based on books by Henning Mankell and are produced by Yellow Bird together with Left Bank Pictures and Kenneth Branagh.
Wallander was successfully screened on BBC1 in the end of last year. The number of viewers was between 5.3-6.2 million and the corresponding viewing shares amounted to between 22-24 percent. British critics were also very positive. Among others, The Times wrote that “this distinctly superior cop show is both spare and suggestive, and brilliantly acted”.
For more information, please contact:
Daniel Ahlqvist, producer at Yellow Bird
daniel@yellowbird.se
+46-705 65 77 66
20 Mar 2009
Entire Millennium trilogy on cinemas Close
The success for Men who hate women continues, with over 1.5 million visitors on cinemas in Scandinavia. At the same time, it is now definite that The girl who played with fire and The girl who kicked the hornet’s nest will also get cinematic release.
"We are very happy for the opportunity to put The girl who played with fire and The girl who kicked the hornet’s nest on cinemas", says Pia Grünler, Head of Film Distribution at Nordisk Film. "Since Men who hate women is such an enormous success in the whole of Scandinavia, it feels exciting to be able to offer the following two films to the cinema audience as well".
"We have always hoped for this possibility. Yellow Bird and I, as well as the director Daniel Alfredsson and the rest of the film team, are very happy for the opportunity to make feature films also of the other two books. Stieg Larsson’s successful novels and the entire cinema audience really deserve this", says Sören Staermose, Yellow Bird´s producer.
Planned release dates are mid September 2009 for The girl who played with fire and end of November 2009 for The girl who kicked the hornet´s nest.
The films are based on Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy and are produced by Yellow Bird, together with the broadcasters SVT and ZDF, as well as the distributor Nordisk Film.
Men who hate women are currently on top of the box office charts in Sweden, Norway and Denmark. After only three weeks, the film has been seen by more than 1.5 million people in Scandinavia. In Sweden, 640.500 people have seen the film. In Finland, Men who hate women open on cinemas on March 27.
For more information, please contact:
Sören Staermose, producer at Yellow Bird
soren@yellowbird.se
+46-707 61 60 71
Annmari Bergmark, Nordisk Film
Annmari.bergmark@nordiskfilm.com,
+46-8-587 822 85
18 Mar 2009
British Wallander released in Scandinavia Close
The three British films Sidetracked, Firewall and One step behind, starring Kenneth Branagh as inspector Kurt Wallander, are now being released in Sweden and Norway. The films are produced by Yellow Bird together with Left Bank Pictures and were successfully screened on BBC1 in the end of last year. The number of viewers was between 5.3-6.2 million and the corresponding viewing shares amounted to between 22-24 percent. British critics were also very positive. Among others, The Times wrote that “this distinctly superior cop show is both spare and suggestive, and brilliantly acted”.
The films are based on Henning Mankell´s three Wallander books Sidetracked, Firewall and One step behind. SF is the DVD distributor in Scandinavia. In Sweden and Norway, Sidetracked is released 18 March. Firewall and One step behind are subsequently released during April-May. The films will also be shown on TV4 in Sweden and TV2 in Norway.
For more information, please contact:
Daniel Ahlqvist, producer
daniel@yellowbird.se
+46-705 65 77 66
10 Mar 2009
Yellow Bird develops Norwegian Anne Holt series Close
Production company Yellow Bird now enters the Norwegian film and TV market. The company has bought the film rights to the successful Norwegian writer Anne Holt’s three crime novels What is mine, What never happens and Madam President. The books are centred around inspector Yngvar Stubø and Inger Johanne Vik – a psychologist and lawyer with a previous career in the FBI. They cooperate together to solve dirrent kind of crimes, such as kidnappings, murders and terrorist conspiracies.
Together with TV2 Norway, Yellow Bird is developing a series of six films based on the three books mentioned, an upcoming fourth Vik/Stubø-book, as well as original stories written by Anne Holt. The Norwegian production company Monster Film is co-producer.
“We are very pleased of having the opportunity to develop Anne Holt’s Vik-Stubø series. The stories are excellent and very strong, and give us the chance to examine the psychological aspects of crime. The main characters Vik and Stubø are also very interesting and their relation is crucial for the stories", says Yellow Bird producer Marianne Gray.
The scripts are currently being developed together with Axel Hellstenius as the main writer and Kjell Ola Dahl. Axel has among other things previously written the Norwegian success comedy Elling and Kjell Ola is himself a well known crime writer. Marianne Gray at Yellow Bird and Olav Øen at Monster Film are producers.
Anne Holt is one of Scandinavia´s most successful crime writers, with more than four million books sold worldwide. She has previously worked as a journalist, lawyer and Minister of Justice in Norway. Her authorship include two very successful crime series: the one about Vik/Stubø and one featuring inspector Hanne Wilhelmsen.
For more information, please contact:
Marianne Gray, producer at Yellow Bird
marianne.gray@yellowbird.se
+46-708 71 79 24
Olav Øen, producer at Monster Film
olav@monstermail.no
+47-9113 1884
03 Mar 2009
Record opening for Men who hate women Close
Men who hate women attracted the largest cinema audience ever on an opening weekend for a Swedish film, with 350 000 visitors.
On Friday 27 February, Men who hate women opened on cinemas in Sweden and Denmark. The film is based on the first book in Stieg Larsson’s Millennium series and is produced by Yellow Bird together with the broadcasters SVT and ZDF, as well as the distributor Nordisk Film.
During the weekend, 350 000 people saw the film in Scandinavia, which is the best ever opening for a Swedish film. The total number of visitors was 175 000 in Sweden and 175 939 in Denmark. No Swedish film has ever been close to such figures in Denmark during an opening weekend.
”The number of visitors was above our expectations, so we are very pleased”, commented the MD of Yellow Bird, Mikael Wallén.
”It is a fantastic opening, which is above our high expectations”, says Pia Grünler, head of Nordisk Film Distribution in Sweden.”It is even more fun when a Swedish film becomes as big in Denmark as in Sweden.”
Men who hate women premiered on a total of 166 auditoriums in more than 130 cities all over Sweden. In Denmark the films was released in a total of 100 copies. The interest prior to the opening was huge and several of the shows were sold out both in both countries. In Sweden, only a few movies such as Arn, Harry Potter and the order of Phoenix and Pirates of the Carribean: At world’s end, have been close to arouse the same kind of interest as Men who hate women.
For more information, please contact:
Mikael Wallén, MD of Yellow Bird
mikael.wallen@yellowbird.se
+46-704 31 21 15
Annmari Bergmark, PR manager Nordisk Film
Annmari.bergmark@nordiskfilm.com,
+46-8-587 822 85
25 Feb 2009
Huge international success for Yellow Bird’s Millennium films Close
Production company Yellow Bird’s Swedish productions of Stieg Larsson’s three books in the Millennium series enjoy great international interest. During the European Film Market at the Berlin film festival, Zodiak Entertainment Distribution closed deals with distributors in Spain, Poland and Switzerland. The sales to Spain and Poland include the rights to distribute both the TV-films and the feature film to cinema, whereas the sale to Switzerland only includes the feature film. In total, the films have now been sold to Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Spain and Poland.
Yellow Bird is producing six TV films in Swedish based on the entire Millennium trilogy as well as a feature film based on the first book Men who hate women. The films are co-produced with the broadcasters SVT in Sweden and ZDF in Germany, as well as with the distributor Nordisk Film.
”Our previous international sales took place even before we had a film to show. During the film festival in Berlin we had our first market screening of Men who hate women which was very well received. The last sales took place after the screening and we hope that the interest will increase further as more distributors actually get a chance to see the film”, says Mikael Wallén, MD of Yellow Bird.
Zodiak Entertainment continues sales negotiations of the Millennium films with several other countries worldwide.
Men who hate women (original title Män som hatar kvinnor) opens on cinemas in Sweden and Denmark 27 February, in Norway 13 March and in Finland 27 March. In France and Italy the will film will preliminary have cinematic release in May.
The six TV films will be broadcast by SVT (Sweden), ZDF (Germany), DR (Denmark), TV2 (Norway) and MTV3 (Finland) during 2010.
For further information, please contact:
Mikael Wallén, MD of Yellowbird
mikael.wallen@yellowbird.se
+46-704 31 21 15
04 Nov 2008
Continued sales success for Millennium films Close
Zodiak International announced today it has closed a significant deal with UGC in France for the new productions of Stieg Larsson’s three best-selling books in the Millennium series, created by production company Yellow Bird. UGC has acquired the cinematic, TV and DVD rights to distribute both the feature film and the TV series in France and some French speaking territories, with the cinematic release expected next year.
UGC is one of the most important cinema groups in Europe, involved in aspects of the cinema business including exhibition, distribution and production.
Yellow Bird is producing a feature film based on the first book “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”, as well as six television films based on the entire Millennium trilogy. The TV films based on the third book are currently being shot in Sweden.
Mikael Wallén, MD of Yellow Bird said, “The Millennium series of books is one of the most read in the world today and we are delighted to be creating cinema and television films which we know will have such strong appeal.”
Jorg Roth, Managing Director of Zodiak International added, “As we establish ourselves as a leading distributor of high-end drama, we are pleased to announce this substantial deal with UGC. The strong potential of Millennium as well as the new Wallander series, also produced by Yellow Bird, gives us an exceptional start in this challenging market.”
Brigitte Maccioni, Head of the Production and Distribution Department at UGC, commented on the announcement, “We are very pleased to have acquired the eagerly awaited Millennium feature film and TV series. The Millennium series of books is extremely popular in France - having sold more than 2 million copies - and French audiences are extremely impatient to discover them on screen."
Zodiak International, which recently announced that Italy’s top film distributor BIM Distribuzione has acquired the Millennium films, is also in negotiations with several other countries. Meanwhile, Yellow Bird is shooting the TV films based on the third book in the Millennium trilogy. In Sweden and Denmark, the Millennium feature film premiers in cinemas during February 2009.
For further information, please contact:
Mikael Wallén
MD Yellowbird
mikael.wallen@yellowbird.se
+46-704312115
Jörg Roth
MD Zodiak International
jorg.roth@zodiakinternational.com
+44-7818048801
Brigitte Maccioni
CEO UGC Images
bmaccioni@ugc.fr
+33 1 46 40 46 36
Deb Lawrence
The Lippin Group
+44 20 3008 5406
dlawrence@lippingroup.com
09 Oct 2008
Yellow Bird’s Millennium films sold to Italy Close
Production company Yellow Bird’s productions of Stieg Larsson’s three books in the Millennium series are now conquering Europe as distributor Zodiak International has closed a major deal with Italy’s top film distributor BIM Distribuzione.
Yellow Bird is producing six TV films based on the entire Millennium trilogy, as well as a feature film based on the first book “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”. BIM has acquired the cinematic, TV and DVD rights to distribute both the TV films and the feature film in Italy and Italian speaking territories, with the cinematic release expected next year.
Based in Rome, BIM specialises in the distribution of international art house films and productions from independent directors, previously handling renowned titles such as The Motorcycle Diaries, Brokeback Mountain and Fahrenheit 9/11.
“It is incredibly rewarding to produce something as popular as Millennium. The interest is huge, both in Sweden and internationally, and I am sure this deal with BIM will be the first of many global sales”, says Mikael Wallén, CEO of Yellow Bird.
“The deal with BIM is an important step for Zodiak International and puts us well on the way to establishing ourselves as an international distributor of drama. We are now building a drama portfolio with huge sales potential with shows like Millennium and other titles like Yellow Bird´s Wallander films for the BBC”, says Jörg Roth, MD of Zodiak International.
Currently, Zodiak International is in negotiations with several other countries over the Millennium films. Meanwhile, Yellow Bird is shooting two TV films based on the second book in the Millennium trilogy, “The Girl Who Played With Fire”. In Sweden and Denmark, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” premiers in cinemas during February 2009.
For further information, please contact:
Mikael Wallén, MD Yellowbird
mikael.wallen@yellowbird.se
+46-704312115
Jörg Roth, MD Zodiak International
jorg.roth@zodiakinternational.com
+44-7818048801
Deb Lawrence, Lippin Group
+44 20 3008 5406
dlawrence@lippingroup.com
11 Jun 2008
Yellow Bird starts German production company Close
Zodiak-owned film and drama company Yellow Bird begins its planned international expansion, by entering the German market.
Yellow Bird will set up a new production company based in Munich. The start up is a joint venture together with Oliver Schündler, who will run the company as Managing Director. Mr Schündler is currently head of Bavaria Media Television, the international unit of one of Germany’s largest production groups.
“I am very happy to announce that Yellow Bird has now taken this first step towards a broad international expansion”, says Patrick Svensk, CEO and President of Zodiak Television. “The Yellow Bird business is crucial to our strategy of building a strong rights catalogue which we can capitalise on in all our territories.”
The Munich company will focus on cinema feature films and TV fiction for the German speaking market. Initial productions will be based on rights that Yellow Bird already controls, which will shorten the time to market for the company.
“By tapping in-to the rights catalogue that we have already built, we expect the German business to be profitable much quicker than what is normally the case for a drama start up”, says Mikael Wallén, MD of Yellow Bird.
Germany has long been an important market for Yellow Bird. The Swedish Wallander movies, as well as other previous productions, have received substantial financing from German broadcasters.
“Entering this market is a very logical step for us. We already have well established relations with Germany’s biggest broadcasters and several of the authors which we have the rights to produce, for example Henning Mankell, are very popular in the country”, says Mikael Wallén.
For more information, please contact:
Mikael Wallén
MD, Yellow Bird
+46-704 31 21 15
Erik Hultkvist
Business Development, Yellow Bird
+46-739 37 05 16
Yellow Bird Pictures in Germany
25 Mar 2008
Yellow Bird to produce 13 new Wallander films Close
The Zodiak owned company Yellow Bird has finalised the financing of 13 new films about the detective Kurt Wallander. The total production budget will be 200 million SEK and shooting will take place during 2008 and 2009.
The 13 films will be produced together with TV4, ARD/DEGETO (Germany) and the regional Swedish production centre “Film i Skåne”. Shootings will start in Ystad during the summer of 2008. The first film will be showing on cinemas during the spring of 2009 and the remaining 12 films will thereafter be directly released on DVD with Svensk Filmindustri as the distributor. All films will also be shown on TV4 and Canal+.
As in the previous films, Krister Henriksson will be playing the part of detective Kurt Wallander. Further information on actors and storylines will be presented later this spring.
- By bringing experiences from the last round of films, this will be an exceptional opportunity to develop both the character Kurt Wallander, as well as the project itself. It’s going to be a lot of fun, says Krister Henriksson
Henning Mankell, who has already written 12 out of the 13 stories on which the new films will be based, says:
- Krister Henriksson and I have spoken often and in depth about what we demand in order to continue making movies about Wallander. Not at least do we want possibilities for further emphasis on the development of the Wallander character and his closest colleagues. Most importantly we want the stories to become more engrossed in their description of our society - something which is and always has been fundamental in everything I have written. We are seeking a political dimension, since crime and punishment is at the core of how injustices and power balances are being manifested.
- Of equal importance is the fact that we have been able to demand certain nonnegotiable factors regarding the production conditions. Usually, TV series are created under very tight budget and time frames. In this case, we have been guaranteed enough time for preparations and shootings. We also believe that the budget will allow for a creative freedom which is not common in these kinds of projects, says Henning Mankell.
Patrick Svensk, CEO and President of Zodiak Television, says:
- The films about Kurt Wallander is the back bone of Yellow Bird’s continuing success in Sweden and internationally.
Åsa Sjöberg, Director of Programmes at TV4, says:
- We are both proud and happy to be able to participate in the making of another round of these much appreciated Wallander movies. The project is also completely in line with our continuing commitment to high quality Scandinavian criminal drama.
For more information, please contact:
Patrick Svensk
CEO and President Zodiak
+46-706-66 07 30
Mikael Wallen
MD Yellow Bird
+46-704-31 21 15
Ole Söndberg
Executive producer
+45-20-203540
10 Jan 2008
Yellow Bird to produce three Wallander movies for BBC Close
With the British cinematization of Henning Mankell’s critically acclaimed novels about detective Kurt Wallander, Zodiak Television are now making their way into the highly reputable British TV drama market. Along with the Oscar awarded producer Andy Harries, the Zodiak owned company Yellowbird will produce three 90 minute movies for what might be the most renowned channel in the world, BBC1. The leading role of Kurt Wallander will be played by Kenneth Branagh, one of Britain’s most well-reputed actors.
The British Wallander project is a huge breakthrough for Zodiak Television, who embarked upon their film strategy when acquiring Yellowbird in February 2007. Yellow Bird will as co-producers own and control a third of all income pertaining to the project globally. Given that Henning Mankell’s novels have sold more than 25 million copies around the world, Yellow Bird counts on the series selling to more territories than any other Swedish produced drama series. The Swedish Wallander movies have had an international turnover of 15 MSEK and have been sold to 20 countries. The movies will be shot on location in Ystad during the spring and summer and Yellow Bird will be responsible for the production
”The Wallander movies for BBC prime-time are the single most valuable orders that any Zodiak company has received since the profitability potential is massive. Furthermore, I believe that there is even more potential in additional movies for the BBC and in the
exploitation of Henning Mankell and other rights that Yellowbird own, so this is really just the beginning”, says Patrick Svensk, CEO and President of Zodiak.
Branagh, who is also a co-producing partner, has had a long time passion for the books, and the project came into fruition when he contacted executive producer of Yellowbird Ole Søndberg. Branagh has gained international recognition and several Oscar and Emmy nods through a number of critically acclaimed movies in which he has participated as both an actor and director. Among other movies, he has directed and played the leading role in ”Henry V”, ”Much Ado About Nothing” and ”Othello” and he most recently directed
”Sleuth”, starring Jude Law and Michal Cain, from a script by Harold Pinter, as well as “As You Like It” for HBO.
The three movies will be co-produced by Andy Harries, the producer behind a number of internationally successful movies, among others ”The Queen” that in 2007 won one Oscar and was nominated to another five.
“Wallander is an extremely ambitious project – after all we're looking to create a classic new detective character for British television. The Henning Mankell novels are well loved around the world and have a depth and complexity which will make for exciting and compulsive viewing. We couldn't hope for a stronger team behind the project, nor could we hope for a more perfect leading man than Kenneth Branagh”, says Anne Mensah, Head of Drama for BBC Scotland.
Yellow Bird is one of the largest drama producers in Sweden. The company has produced 13 Wallander movies with a total budget of 200 MSEK. In co-production with Illusion Film, Yellow Bird also recently finalized 6 movies based on Helene Tursten’s novels about Irene Huss and they are currently producing 6 movies based on Stieg Larsson’s three success novels about Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomqvist with a budget of over 100 MSEK. Furthermore, two new, large projects are in development directly for the German
market, with production starting during 2008/2009.
For more information, please contact:
Patrick Svensk
CEO and President Zodiak Television
+46 708 66 07 30
Mikael Wallén
MD Yellow Bird
+46 704 31 21 15
Press Contact
Erik Hultkvist
Business development
+46(0) 739 37 05 16
erik.hultkvist@yellowbird.se
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