SF Studios has begun production on a feature-film continuation of Life on Seacrow Island, following the success of the Swedish television series that revived Astrid Lindgren’s much-loved characters for a new generation in 2025.

Fredrik Edfeldt is returning to direct the film and has co-written the screenplay with Karin Arrhenius. Shooting is getting under way this month in the Stockholm archipelago, which also provided the principal setting for the series. Born in 1972, Edfeldt is a film and TV helmer whose feature debut, The Girl, earned international acclaim and picked up four Guldbagge nominations, including for Best Director. He later reunited with Arrhenius on Sanctuary (2013), while his television credits include Blue Eyes and Rebecka Martinsson.

The feature will reunite several members of its young cast, including Vega Åhman as Tjorven, Elton Larsson as Pelle and Lovisa Lindblad as Stina. The new story will once again centre on the Melkerson family and the island community, with friendship, freedom and adventure remaining at its core.

The move to the big screen comes after a strong reception for the 2025 series in Sweden. The production was subsequently nominated for Location of the Year – Natural at the Global Production Awards during this year’s Cannes Film Festival and has also received a nomination for Children’s Programme of the Year at Sweden’s Kristallen Television Awards.

“When we saw how warmly the series was received by a new audience, moving forwards with a feature film felt like a natural next step,” said SF Studios producer Jon Nohrstedt, describing Life on Seacrow Island as a story that continues to resonate across generations. Arrhenius added that returning to the setting and its characters for a theatrical production was “a privilege”.

The original Life on Seacrow Island was created by Lindgren for Swedish television in the 1960s before being expanded into books and films, becoming one of the author’s most enduring depictions of childhood and family life. Its stories follow the Melkerson family during their stays on the fictional Saltkråkan in the Stockholm archipelago and their relationships with the island’s permanent residents. The 2025 television version revisited that world with a new cast and creative team while retaining the characters and environment associated with Lindgren’s original work.

“The 2025 version of Life on Seacrow Island was a success on every level: the writing, the direction, the cast and the reception,” commented Max Hallén, CEO of Astrid Lindgren AB. “Now, audiences will have the chance to return to this world.”

The feature is being produced by SF Studios in collaboration with Astrid Lindgren AB, Sveriges Television, Film Stockholm and Film i Väst, with support from the Swedish Film Institute and the Nordisk Film & TV Fond. Nohrstedt and Hanna Lundmark serve as producers, whilst Emma Hägglund is executive producer.

The project also continues SF Studios’ long association with Lindgren’s work. Over several decades, the Swedish company has brought a number of the writer’s best-known creations to the screen, including Pippi Longstocking, Emil of Lönneberga and Ronja, the Robber’s Daughter. The forthcoming Life on Seacrow Island feature now extends that relationship into another theatrical generation.