Thea Sofie Loch Næss is cast as Cohen’s muse Marianne in the event international series from showrunner Øystein Karlsen, co-written by Jo Nesbø.

The highly-anticipated international series is being produced by Norway’s Redpoint Productions for NRK and Bell Media’s Crave, in co-production with Canada’ Connect3 and Greece’s Tanweer Productions and support among others from Nordisk Film & TV Fond.

Filming started March 24 in the Greek island of Hydra where the celebrated Canadian singer and poet Leonard Cohen met in 1960 the young Norwegian single mother Marianne Ihlen.

The eight-part series is billed as a “beautiful, poetic and searing tribute to life, shedding light on the events that inspired one of the most iconic songs of many generations - ‘So Long, Marianne’.

The story centres on Cohen and Ihlen’s chaotic romance on the idyllic Greek island, at a period of their lives when they were still trying to figure out who they were, while living among a group of bohemian expat artists, led by Australian writing couple Charmian Clift and George Johnston. Free love, drugs, but also rivalries and jealousy were feeding the interwoven lives and creativity of the small artistic community.

“It feels like the way the world is right now, a series that celebrates life and love, with a core about finding your way in life, is needed more than ever,” said concept director Oystein Karlsen (Exit, Dag, Lilyhammer) who wrote the screenplay, with best-selling novelist Jo Nesbø attached as co-writer of two episodes. Canada’s Bronwen Huges will be directing four episodes.

Cohen is played by Alex Wolff (Pig, Hereditary and Christopher Nolan’s upcoming Oppenheimer), while Thea Sofie Loch Næss (Delete Me, The Last Kingdom) is Marianne.

In other main roles are Jonas Strand Gravli (July 22, Countrymen) as Norwegian novelist Axel Jensen, Anna Torv (The Last of Us, Mindhunter) as Charmian Clift and Noah Taylor (Peaky Blinders, Game of Thrones) as George Johnston.

“Alex and Thea are perfect for the roles of Leonard and Marianne,” said NRK’s Head of Drama Marianne Furevold-Boland. “I am convinced that the two of them will do a formidable job in bringing out the full range of emotions in this strong love story. And the series is in the best hands of director and screenwriter Øystein Karlsen, who has shown with his previous projects that he can create good and driving drama that is both surprising and not least moving.”

The series is produced by Redpoint Productions’ Ingeborg Klyve, in co-production with Greece’s Dionysiss Samiotis and Nancy Kokolai of Tanweer Productions, and Canada’s André Barro and Pablo Salzman of Connect3, with co-financing from SVT, DR, Yle and RÚV, tax incentives from Canada and Greece, support from the Norwegian Film Institute, Nordisk Film & TV Fond and Creative Europe.

London-based Cineflix Rights handles global distribution.

Filming is underway in Greece and will continue in Oslo and Montreal.

The premiere on NRK is scheduled for the fall 2024.