04/10/2011

The children private eyes from LasseMaja’s Detective Agency have been assigned to three cases by Swedish major Svensk Filmindustri (SF), and Norway’s Cinenord Kidstory, which will shoot from November 21. The first film in the trilogy, LasseMaja’s Detective Agency-Von Brom’s Secret, will be readied for premiere next Christmas.

Swedish author Martin Widmark’s books have already fed a feature (Swedish director Henrik Georgsson’s LasseMaja’s Detective Agency-The Chameleon Strikes Back - pictured) as well as a television series. Swedish director Walter Söderlund will helm the first installment, from Peter Arrhenius’ script, produced by Moa Westeson.

Norwegian producer Silje Hopland Eik has been attached as Norwegian co-producer, and her company Cinenord Kidstory has received €382,000 production support from the Norwegian Film Institute, which has allocated a total of €890,000 funding for four international projects with Norwegian participation.

Hopland Eik and her partner Tanya Badendyck have already co-produced three features with Westeson, including Trigger and Vegas, and they are also developing the Karsten & Petra film and television series. They are planning to stage the third part of the series of the young detectives in Valleby as an entirely Norwegian movie.

The Norwegian Film Institute has also chipped in €254,000 for Swedish director Roy Andersson’s A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existance through its Norwegian co-producer, Håkon Øverås, of 4½ Fiksjon, concluding the Living trilogy with Songs from the Second Floor (2001) and You, the Living [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pernilla Sandström
interview: Roy Andersson
film profile] (2007).

Currently lensing in Stockholm for Roy Andersson Filmproduktion/Studio 24, with his regular producer Pernilla Sandström in charge, the film will be ready for premiere in May 2014. As for LasseMaja’s Detective Agency-Von Brom’s Secret, SF Norge will handle Norwegian distribution.