Fredrik Backman’s library hit Beartown was acquired by Endemol Shine Group’s owned Filmlance International a few years ago. The leading Swedish independent production company is producing. 

A strong writing team including Anders Weidemann (30 Degrees in February), Antonia Pyk (Blue Eyes, beck), and Linn Gottfridsson (Arne Dahl) are attached to the book to screen adaptation.

Set in a small community, the five-part series explores the courage it takes for an individual to go against the group and the consequences of how we raise our boys. The small town Beartown is being hit by unemployment and slowly falling apart, but with the junior ice-hockey team having a shot at winning the national semi-finals, all the dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys. A heavy burden that becomes the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatised and a town in turmoil. Accusations are made and, like ripples on a pond, they travel through Beartown, leaving no resident unaffected.

Filmlance International’s producers Bonnie Skoog Feeney and Mattias Arehn said they literally “fell in love” with Beartown the first time they read it. “It is a story you feel in both your stomach and your heart. Backman has created a universe with characters who give everything - for their town, for their sport and for their children,” said the production duo. “We want to create a drama where everything is at stake, where we see and feel all of the different sides of humanity - not only in the characters we are depicting, but in ourselves as well.”

Antony Root, EVP Programming and Production, HBO Europe, said: “Fredrik Backman’s novel combines an utterly compelling story, characters that jump off the page, a unique setting, and the exhilaration and drama of competitive sport, while exploring deeply resonant themes of community, masculinity, youth and hope. In short, it’s dream material for an HBO drama."

Hanne Palmquist, Commissioning Editor and VP Original Programming, HBO Nordic, added: “Rarely do you read a book where not just the characters and the story but even the sounds from the arena you just visited stay with you. Beartown is such a book, you literally move in – you become a part of Beartown and Beartown becomes a part of you. Our ambition is to embody that sensation and create a powerful, emotional and unforgettable drama. We’re honoured to have such talented writers, producers, and not least director Peter Grönlund on board to share in this ambition.”

Beartown will be the TV drama debut for Grönlund, who received critical praise for his feature debut Drifters (Tjuvheder). The Swedish director is executive producer, alongside HBO’s Hanne Palmquist, Steve Matthews and Antony Root.

Beartown is the second Swedish drama commissioned by HBO Europe after Lukas Moodysson’s eight-part comedy series Gösta produced by Memfis Film.

Also on HBO Europe’s slate is the Norwegian near future satire Beforeigners, directed by Jens Lien for Rubicon TV. Both series are set to premiere on HBO’s various platforms and territories late summer/fall 2019.