25/10/2010

In a unique deal for a Norwegian language feature film, the leading production house Filmkameratene (Max Manus [+see also:
trailer
film profile]) has sold Andre Øvredal’s feature debut The Troll Hunter to Universal Pictures International for a dozen European territories and to Magnolia Pictures’ genre label Magnet Releasing for North America and several other territories. The film will open in Norway this Friday, through SF Norge.

Universal Pictures International will release the film in France, Spain, Germany, Austria, Benelux, Switzerland, CIS and the Baltic countries. Well-established as a commercials director, Øvredal has opted for a Blair Witch Project approach for his directorial debut, based on his own original idea. The film tells the story of a group of young filmmakers who decide to shoot a documentary exposing the Norwegian government’s efforts to hide the sensational news that trolls actually exist. The Troll Hunter was produced for around €2.4m by John M. Jacobsen and Sveinung Golimo for Filmkamerane, with support from the Norwegian Film Institute. Jacobsen brokered the deal with the US companies following the film’s world premiere at the Fantastic Fest in Austin, USA last month.

Christian Grass, UPI president of international production and acquisitions said the film "has the potential to redefine the (fantasy) genre and take it to the next level.” Magnet Senior Vice-President Tom Quinn shared the same enthusiasm: “The Troll Hunter is one hell of a ride with trolls the size of King Kong. Øvredal has created a one-of-a-kind creature feature that’s sure to entertain audiences all over the world.”

Several other Norwegian language films have attracted world buyers’ interest in recent years such as the spoof horror film Dead Snow [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Tommy Wirkola as well as Espen Sandberg and Joachim Rønning’s WW2 epic Max Manus that sold to over 40 territories.