SF Studios believes in The King, Quisling, A Man Called Otto to drive theatrical

Speaking on Saturday in front of an audience including international media and SF Studios partners and colleagues, SF Studios CEO Michael Poseryd said the past two years have been tough [due to Covid], especially on the distribution side. “Cinema-going is not yet at the same level as before, but increasing fast and films are being released. More than ever, we believe in theatrical; it is changing fast but we are adapting”, he observed.

On the production side, Porseryd underlined that SF Studios has maintained its production output “more or less at the same level” during the pandemic, and today the group produces “more than ever”, across all formats and genres.

The latest title announced is The King about the current Swedish monarch Carl XVI Gustav, produced by Stina Gardell and Petra Måhl for Af Nexiko, in co-production with SF Studios, support from the Swedish Film Institute and SVT.

Karin Af Klintberg (Ebbe the movie, Nice People) is the first journalist ever to have obtained access to follow the Swedish Monarch, both in his private and professional life and the film will be the first documentary about a Swedish king still in function. “I want to deal with the present through humour and dignity, and I think that also suits a film about a monarch as well,” said af Klintberg. “We are like two different breeds; he is from a non-emotional 40s-generation, and I am from a more integrity free 70s-generation. The film is like a dance where I want to get close, but he wants to keep me at a distance.”

Filming started last spring, and the Swedish premiere via SF Studios is set for February 2023.

Another mainstream-oriented SF Studios film set to start filming is the biopic Quisling by the multi-awarded Norwegian helmer Erik Poppe, produced by Finn Gjerdrum (see separate story CLICK HERE). The film about the infamous former Norwegian head of state and Nazi collaborator during WW2 is due to start filming in September. REinvent - who handles all SF Studios feature films internationally - will handle sales.

Björn Runge’s anticipated Burn all My Letters - presented in Cannes by lead actress Asta Kamma August and SF Studios’ head of theatrical Pia Grünler - will also launch in Scandinavia in September.

Other upcoming SF Studios films include the Danish youth drama Pretty Young Thing by Trine Piil, romantic comedy Love You For Now, due to premiere in November in Denmark and the Swedish car chasing movie The Final Race by Edward af Sillén, Swedish version of the Norwegian hitBørning.

On the international front, SF Studios mega English language project A Man Called Otto starring Tom Hanks has just wrapped its shoot in Pittsburgh. The film directed by Mark Foster, is a US remake of A Man Called Ove, based on Fredrik Backman’s best-selling book.

Producer Fredrik Wikström Nicastro and SF Studios’ SVP International Production said: “SF Studios has fully-financed it and is the lead producer [producing alongside Rita Wilson and Playtone partners Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman]. This makes it ​by far the biggest film for us in 102 years and the biggest ever coming out of the Nordic region. "We’re so excited,” said the producer who reiterated SF Studios’ international strategy to “create the highest quality projects with Nordic talents and nurture stories that they are passionate about”.

Wikström Nicastro said Tom Hanks who came up with the new title is “passionate about playing the main role and gives a moving performance”.

Sony Pictures who picked up world rights to the movie after a fierce bidding war at the last European Film Market in Berlin is planning to launch the film this Christmas.