17/07/2014 - Even before its 26 September local premiere, Lisa Marie Gamlem and John Andreas Andersen’s family adventure has sold in ten territories

Since his first appearance 25 years ago, as the brainchild of Norwegian author and songwriter Terje Formoe, Norway’s Captain Sabertooth has performed in 13 stage plays, 16 books, 12 films, four video games, one 26-part television series and on 15 CDs, as well as lending his name to products ranging from ice cream to liver pate. He has also got his own website: www.sabeltann.no.

On 26 September, the Walt Disney Company Nordic will release Captain Sabertooth and the Treasure of Lama Rama in Norway – the first feature with the pirate captain in the lead, directed by Norwegian filmmakers Lisa Marie Gamlem and John Andreas Andersen, and produced by Frederick PN Howard, Lars Hellebust, Fredrik Støbakk and Gudny Hummelvoll for Storm Films Norway on a €5.9 million budget, making it Norway’s most expensive family film so far.

When German international sales agent Sola Media showed a three-minute promo at the market during the Cannes International Film Festival, distributors from more than 20 territories/70 countries were bidding for the rights, including major markets such as the US, Latin America, Germany, France and CIS-Russia, Howard told the local press. So far, ten territories have signed contracts. “Captain Sabertooth is no brand outside Norway, but pirates are, and we are selling it as a pirate movie,” explained Sola's managing director, Solveig Langeland.

Starring Kyrre Haugen Sydness as the Captain, with Odd-Magnus Williamson, Pia Tjelta, Tuva Novotny, Anders Baasmo Christiansen, Jon Øigarden, Vinjar Pettersen, Robert Skjærstad and Sofie Bjerke, Captain Sabertooth and the Treasure of Lama Rama was scripted by Lars Gudmestad and Formoe, and follows Sabertooth’s treasure hunt in the fabled kingdom of Lama Rama, accompanied by 11-year-old Tiny – who is searching for his missing father – and his girlfriend Raven, all on board the Black Lady.

Captain Sabertooth director Gamlem made her feature debut last year with the children’s film Granny and the Kids, while Andersen co-directed Aksel Hennie’s Uno [+see also:
trailer
film profile] in 2004. Festival director Danckert Monrad-Krohn has chosen their joint effort to close this year’s Kristiansand International Children’s Film Festival, which runs from 16-21 September.

More information about the new Captain Sabertooth film can be found here.