29/05/2012 - Millennium producer Yellow Bird will helm Occupied for Norwegian pubcaster NRK about a future vision of Norway controlled by Russia

Norwegian pubcaster NRK has purchased the script for Occupied, a television series by Norwegian bestselling author Jo Nesbø (photo), who has already worked on such thrillers as Norwegian directors Morten Tyldum's Hodejegerne (Headhunters) [+see also:
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Occupied is a future vision of Norway, which has been occupied by Russia - "a 'silk glove' occupation, where Russia is in control of the country and the oil resources, but otherwise life goes on as usual, and people discuss whether it is really worth standing up and fighting," explained Swedish Headhunters' producer Marianne Gray, of Yellow Bird Production.

Currently packaging the series - initially eight episodes - Occupied will be produced by Yellow Bird, which has recently set up a Norwegian outfit, and co-produced by Norway's Hummelfilm (Gudny Hummelvoll). It will be scripted by Norwegian sceenwriter Harald Rosenløw Eeg (Hawaii, Oslo [+see also:
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Meanwhile UK production company Working Title is preparing Nesbø's The Snowman, the seventh novel (2007) in Nesbø's series of the anti-authority, anti-sobriety Oslo detective Harry Hole, which US director Martin Scorsese will bring to the screen. And UK writer-director Sacha Gervasi (The Terminal, Anvil) is working on the English-language remake of Headhunters.

Originally a journalist, a BCom and lead singer of the Di Derre rock group, Nesbø's Headhunters has so far grossed $14 million worldwide, according to US Box Office Mojo. His Harry Hole novel The Snowman reached No 10 on the New York Times' bestseller list; the Hole series has been translated into 25 languages, bringing worldwide sales of 8.5 million.