The well-known Nordic brand plans to release 3-4 films in 2019 and to invest in Nordic content in the future.

Set up in 1998 by Norwegian group Schibsted which then sold the company to private investors in 2013, Sandrew Metronome has since re-focused on digital distribution, until its recent decision to go back into theatrical.

Currently headed by CEO Verner Bach Pedersen and run by general manager Michael Rosenkilde, the Nordic company has a staff of 12 people, overseeing the distribution in Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway of its strong catalogue of approximately 360 titles (including Brokeback Mountain, The Queen and around 150 Swedish films) as well as new pick-ups.

Rosenkilde said Sandrew Metronome’s decision to go back to theatrical distribution - eight years after it was closed down by Schibsted - is part of the group’s measured expansion in rights exploitation across the Nordics. “We started acquiring smaller films for TV sales and home entertainment, then bought bigger films and eventually decided to do theatrical as well,” explained Rosenkilde to nordicfilmandtvnews.com. “This year we’re starting with a slim slate of 3-4 titles for theatrical, with the rest of our titles going straight to TV, DVD and digital distribution. Hopefully we’ll go a bit wider in 2020-2021, but we’ll never have a large slate like SF Studios or Nordisk Film, that’s not our goal,” noted Rosenkilde.

“Although we have great titles in our library, we know we have to be careful as home entertainment is declining, TV stations are restructuring the financing of films in Scandinavia, and film is not the hottest on TV these days. That said, we feel there is a future in T-VOD and event films in cinemas. Plus we do have a great brand. That helps a lot.”

For the theatrical releases, Sandrew Metronome will handle the physical distribution in Denmark and Sweden, and partner with B-Plan in Finland and Manymore Films in Norway. The company will focus on action, suspense, rom-coms, family films and high-quality drama for a wider audience.

The first title set to premiere across the Nordics (June 6 Denmark, June 7 Finland, June 14 Norway/Sweden) is the Australian suspense drama Hotel Mumbai which had its world premiere at Toronto 2018. The film based on true events (the 2008 terrorist attack of the famed Taj Hotel in Mumbai) stars Dev Patel and Armie Hammer. Next is the Chinese animated Cats by Gary Wang and the US/UK Black Bird by Roger Michell (Notting Hill), a remake of Bille August’s 2014 Danish drama Silent Heart. The English language version stars Kate Winslet, Mia Wasikowska, Rainn Wilson, Sam Neill and Susan Sarandon.

Rosenkilde said his mid-term plan is to add Nordic content to Sandrew Metronome’s line up in the Nordics. “Our plan is to co-produce local films; we’re open to all opportunities,” he stated.