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The Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund has unveiled the full program of its 53rd edition running over Aug.16-22.

Ahead of Venice where she will be in the running for the Golden Lion with her third pic as a helmer, “The Testament of Ann Lee,” the Norwegian-born writer-director Mona Fastvold will bring her star power to the picturesque coastal town of Haugesund, where she will present the Oscar-winning “The Brutalist,” for which she earned an Oscar nod for best screenplay, shared with her partner, helmer Brady Corbet.

“The Brutalist” will both screen at Haugesund’s architecture-led Norwegian Archfest sidebar and compete for best foreign language film at Norway’s annual Amanda Awards, due to unspool Aug. 16 as a preamble to the Norwegian Film Festival. The national film awards, administered by the Norwegian International Film Festival, will be transmitted live that day by NRK1.

“We are thrilled that Mona Fastvold will attend the Amanda Awards,...

SpectreVision, the production company of Elijah Wood, Daniel Noah, and Lawrence Inglee, has teamed with Norwegian filmmaker Patrik Syversen on Dawning, Deadline reports today.

The genre-bender is described as a “Scandinavian prestige drama filtered through a horror prism.”

Dawning follows “three sisters who have withdrawn to their family’s vacation home in the wake of the youngest sister’s second suicide attempt. When news reaches them that their abusive mother has passed, the two elder sisters decide not to tell the youngest to spare her the burden. Things begin to unravel when a mysterious man shows up on the property, shifting the siblings’ perspective from one of introspection and analysis to something a lot more primal.”

Starring in Dawning are Kathrine Thorborg Johansen (Power Play), Marte Magnusdotter Solem (Lovable), Thorbjørn Harr, and Steinar Klouman Hallert (Sick of Myself).

In a statement on their new project, the SpectreVision partners told Deadline,...

Exclusive: SpectreVision, the production company of Elijah Wood, Daniel Noah, and Lawrence Inglee, has partnered with Norwegian filmmaker Patrik Syversen on Dawning, a genre-bending feature that has wrapped production.

Described as a Scandinavian prestige drama filtered through a horror prism, the story follows three sisters who have withdrawn to their family’s vacation home in the wake of the youngest sister’s second suicide attempt. When news reaches them that their abusive mother has passed, the two elder sisters decide not to tell the youngest, to spare her the burden. Things begin to unravel when a mysterious man shows up on the property, shifting the siblings’ perspective from one of introspection and analysis to something a lot more primal. Check out a first-look still above.

Dawning stars top Norwegian talent Kathrine Thorborg Johansen (Canneseries winner Power Play), Marte Magnusdotter Solem (Karlovy Vary winner Lovable), frequent Dag Johan Haugerud collaborator Thorbjørn Harr,...

If there’s one thing Vikings taught us, it is that strength isn’t just about swinging axes and screaming “Valhalla” at breakfast. Of course, blood-soaked battlefields and beard-measuring contests were common. Still, the true power in this Norse epic often came with betrayal, brains, seer, and the ability to survive long enough to actually enjoy a feast.

Be it Ragnar Lothbrok, outsmarting kings, or Lagertha holding her own in a world dominated by men, the show literally gave us characters whose strengths were commendable and went far beyond the blade. From tactical brilliance and emotional endurance to sheer “I dare you to kill me” energy, Vikings was a parade of the mad, the mythic, and the powerful.

And let’s not forget the enemies, some Saxons held their ground better than expected. So, let’s sharpen the swords and emotional intelligence because we’re counting down the most powerful Vikings characters to ever reign,...

Norwegian director Dag Johan Haugerud took a challenge when he decided to make three movies on the same topic, but with different perspectives. That is how he describes his Sex, Dreams, Love trilogy. All three of them have achieved critically acclaimed status for how they diverge into the complicated nature of human relationships and connection.

Each one of them focuses on conversations rather than the act, exploring the human psyche in ways like no other. Deeply believable, relevant, and grounded in everyday life, the celebrated director revealed that the inspiration to write and direct the films came at the behest of a student journalist.

Dag Johan Haugerud explains why he made Sex Sex (2024) | Credits: Novemberfilm

Norwegian director Dag Johan Haugerud’s Sex (2024), the first film in his Sex Dreams Love trilogy, premiered at Berlinale’s Panorama section, winning the Europa Cinemas Label and the Cicae Art Cinema Award.

Related: “My...

A tender and gently probing Norwegian drama about a pair of Oslo chimney sweeps whose lives are forever changed when they casually open up to each other in between jobs one morning, Dag Johan Haugerud’s “Sex” — the standalone first installment of the director’s Kieślowski-inspired “Sex, Love, Dreams” trilogy — is a far cry from the prurient spectacle promised by its title. Indeed, this sweet and chatty film, in which sex is often discussed but never depicted, could just as easily have been called “Love” or “Dreams” (that it wasn’t seems like a joke typical of Haugerud’s dry sense of humor).

But that isn’t to accuse the director of a bait-and-switch. As Oscar Wilde is quoted to have said: “Everything is about sex, except sex.” In that sense, “Sex” is more about sex than it ever could have been if it contained any sex. While “Sex” may...

A fact often gone unacknowledged is that, as we age, our desires unwittingly change. When it does, the terms we used to define ourselves and those around us must undergo a process of deconstruction, after which one can fashion a new vocabulary. At the start of Norwegian novelist-turned-filmmaker Dag Johan Haugerud’s Sex, the first installment in his Oslo Trilogy––followed by Love and concluding with Dreams, which won the Golden Bear at the 2025 Berlin Film Festival––we encounter two middle-aged chimney sweeps in the middle of confessing their respective crises of identity, which has left them bewildered and distraught.

The first, Avdelingsleder (Thorbjørn Harr), is concerned with a dream where David Bowie appears and looks at him like he’s a woman, instilling in him a mollifying feeling that remains in waking life. The other, Feier (Jan Gunnar Røise), unpacks a recent, unexpected, rather pleasant sexual encounter with a...

Like Ingmar Bergman, Éric Rohmer, and Hong Sang-soo before him, Dag Johan Haugerud believes in the niceties of conversation. Sex, one third of the writer-director’s Oslo Stories trilogy, largely consists of dialogue-driven scenes across which his characters reveal their desires and emotions. If the style of these long, mostly static scenes isn’t exactly novel, it nevertheless indicates how Haugerud aligns his work within a certain arthouse tradition, which pays modest dividends throughout the film’s two-hour runtime.

Early on, an unnamed, middle-aged man (Jan Gunnar Røise) sits off screen, listening as his boss (Thorbjørn Harr), also unnamed and middle-aged, discusses a dream in which he encounters David Bowie, who mistakes him for a woman. “He was taking charge from there. And that felt so good,” the man says. But, he adds, the dream didn’t end in sex. Then, as the camera pulls back and pans right, the...

The old maxim that men have only one thing on their minds gets an expansive corrective in Dag Johan Haugerud’s “Sex” — the very title of which cheekily misdirects us with its blunt simplicity. Sex certainly comes up early and often in this playful, intricately nuanced character study, but in consistently surprising, stereotype-averse ways. Following two straight male co-workers as they open up to each other about recent experiences that have challenged their own sexual and gender identities, Haugerud’s sly comedy addresses various crises of modern masculinity with a light, humane touch, finding more curiosity than toxicity in its workaday characters — and making a case for seemingly aberrant desires and impulses as an everyday fact of life.

With its loosely discursive quality — it’s clear Haugerud was a novelist before he turned to filmmaking — and measured, good-humored approach to subject matter usually treated with more heated, heightened drama on screen,...

Netflix's La Palma includes a great cast of both seasoned and new actors. Directed by Kasper Barfoed, the non-English language Netflix original series follows a group of characters on the westernmost island in the Canary Islands called La Palma as they are faced with a dangerous ecological crisis. The series' combination of familial loyalty, great visual effects, and an engaging storyline has made it a hit on the streaming platform.

Although several movies and TV shows depict natural disasters, there is something unique about La Palma. The series is intriguing from its very first episode and gets better as more information is revealed. The Netflix miniseries’ cast members all give an outstanding performance and perfectly portray the fear that comes with knowing that the world might be coming to an end.

Actor

Character

Anders Bassmo Christiansen

Fredrik

Ingrid Bolsø Berdal

Jennifer

Alma Günther

Sara

Thea Sofie Loch Næss

Marie...

Netflix has dropped the trailer for La Palma, a four-part Norwegian disaster miniseries created by the team behind the popular films The Wave, The Quake, and The Burning Sea. The series, which premieres on December 12, sets a new standard for visual effects in Norway with its breathtaking and intense scenes.

La Palma stars Anders Baasmo, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Thea Sofie Loch Næss, and Thorbjørn Harr. Directed by Kasper Barfoed, the series is written by Harald Rosenløw Eeg and Lars Gudmestad.

Harald Rosenløw Eeg & Lars Gudmestad, writers:

It’s been exciting for us to use the disaster genre in a TV series format where we can get even closer to the characters while telling the story on a massive scale. The series shows ordinary people’s limits being tested in the event of a disaster and how they push themself to overcome fears.

La Palma also pushes the boundaries of what...

Netflix has released the trailer for the four-part Norwegian disaster miniseries La Palma, created by the team behind the hit movies The Wave, The Quake, and The Burning Sea. The series premieres on December 12 and raises the bar for visual effects in Norway with stunning and thrilling scenes.

La Palma stars Anders Baasmo, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Thea Sofie Loch Næss, and Thorbjørn Harr. It is directed by Kasper Barfoed.

Harald Rosenløw Eeg & Lars Gudmestad, writers:

It’s been exciting for us to use the disaster genre in a TV series format where we can get even closer to the characters while telling the story on a massive scale. The series shows ordinary people’s limits being tested in the event of a disaster and how they push themself to overcome fears.

La Palma also pushes the boundaries of what’s possible to achieve with visual effects in a Norwegian TV series.

Netflix has unveiled the official trailer for the four-part Norwegian disaster miniseries La Palma, which comes from the creators of The Wave, The Quake, and The Burning Sea. Netflix says that the series, which premieres on December 12, sets a new standard in visual effects in Norway.

La Palma stars Anders Baasmo, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Thea Sofie Loch Næss, and Thorbjørn Harr. The series was directed by Kasper Barfoed.

The drama series follows Norwegian tourists caught in a massive volcanic eruption on the picturesque Canary Islands. Facing toxic ash, lava, and chaos, they must fight for survival as they race to safety.

“It’s been exciting for us to use the disaster genre in a TV series format where we can get even closer to the characters while telling the story on a massive scale. The series shows ordinary people’s limits being tested in the event of a disaster and...

Alain Guiraudie’s “Misericordia,” Carlos Marqués-Marcet “They Will be Dust” and Yeo Siew Hua’s “Stranger Eyes” all won big at Spain’s auteurist haven Valladolid Film Festival on Saturday, in a second edition under José Luis Cienfuegos whose prizes served as a vindication of the changes he has wrought at the festival as well as an indication of some ways European arthouse is going.

All three directors’ awards build on prior upbeat reception. Playing Cannes Premiere, “Misericordia,” which scooped Valladolid’s best picture Golden Spike and its screenplay trophy, was hailed by Variety as a “darkly comic backwoods fable of pansexual desire and small-town sociopathy” which marks a “welcome re-embrace of the streamlined murdery perversities of his terrific ‘Stranger by the Lake.'”

The Valladolid jury, made up of Greek director Sofia Exarchou, Spanish actress Aida Folch, critic and editor Devika Girish, German producer Ingmar Trost and Spanish director and writer Luis López Carrasco,...

The 2024 edition of the Valladolid International Film Week, also known as Seminci, wrapped on Saturday (October 26), giving its top award, the Golden Spike, to Misericordia by Alain Guiraudie.

Misericordia tells the story of a man who returns to his hometown for the funeral of his former boss, the village baker, and decides to stay for a few days with the man’s widow, getting involved in a series of unexpected events.

Guiraudie also won the best screenplay award.

The members of the Valladolid jury, Greek director Sofía Exarchou; Spanish actress Aida Folch; American critic Devika Girish; Spanish filmmaker Luis López Carrasco...

Norwegian director Dag Johan Haugerud’s Berlinale Panorama premiere Sex has landed further theatrical deals for M-Appeal across Europe.

Deals have now been closed in Germany (Alamode), Austria (Polyfilm), Benelux (September Film Distribution), Spain (Filmin) and Italy (Wanted Cinema).

Sex follows two men, played by Jan Gunnar Røise and Thorbjørn Harr, both in heterosexual marriages, who have an unexpected experience that challenges them to reconsider their understanding of sexuality, gender and identity.

It is produced by Yngve Sæther and Hege Hauff Hvattum for Norway’s Motlys, and is the first in a planned trilogy, with Dreams and Love to follow.

Don’t get too hot and bothered over the title of the new Norwegian film Sex. The act itself in this first entry in a new trilogy from writer-director Dag Johan Haugerud is really only just talked about in this intriguing movie mostly dependent on leaning into its main characters’ words and descriptions, not a whole lot of visual information. Winner of the Europa Cinemas Label as Best European Film in the Panorama section of the current Berlin Film Festival, where it had its world premiere this week, Haugerud has announced this as this first of three films — Sex, Dreams, and then Love — featuring the same cast and dealing overall with themes of desire, identity and freedom, not to mention sexuality and the place of gender in our lives and society. This first stand-alone film also leans heavily into masculinity in ways it is not normally discussed by guys, but...

Sex, a provocative and candid look at constricting gender roles by Norwegian director Dag Johan Haugerud, has won the Europa Cinemas Label as best European film in the Panorama section of the 2024 Berlin Film Festival.

Jan Gunnar Roise and Thorbjorn Harr star in Sex as two married and ostensibly heterosexual chimney sweeps whose experiences lead them to question their supposedly fixed sexual and gender identities. The film was a critical hit in Berlin, with The Hollywood Reporter comparing its “gentle subversiveness” of the male character study to Joachim Trier’s twist on the traditional rom-com in the Oscar-nominated The Worst Person in the World. [Coincidentally, Worst Person in the World breakout Renate Reinsve was one of the big stars of the Berlinale this year, with two films in competition.]

The Europa Cinemas jury praised Sex as “fresh, original, and, above all, great fun,” adding: “Yes, it is a talky film, but we feel strongly that the open...

Fremantle’s Norwegian banner Monster, behind hit TV shows “Exit,” “Furia” and “Pørni, will be bringing to Series Mania Forum’s Co-Pro Pitching Sessions ‘The Odesa Wrestlers’, which has received development coin from Norwegian pubcaster Nrk.

Celebrated Norwegian podcaster Joachim Førsund and star actor Thorbjørn Harr are making their debut as co-creators, with Førsund also serving as screenwriter and Harr as episodic director.

“We’re in discussions with Thorbjørn to play one of the main roles, but nothing is confirmed,” said producer and Monster head of scripted Cathrine Simonsen.

Set in small town Elverum in rural Norway, the story turns on two young Ukrainian refugees and brothers Andriy and Mago as they join a local wrestling team, with the hope to shape a brighter future for themselves. Their remarkable skills and unorthodox methods quickly disrupt the social hierarchy in the club – headed by former world champion Willy – as well as the local youth community.

M-Appeal has closed distribution deals in key territories for “Sex,” which had its world premiere in the Berlinale’s Panorama section.

The film, the first part of the “Sex Dreams Love” trilogy by Norway’s Dag Johan Haugerud, has garnered attention for its thought-provoking exploration of sexuality and gender roles.

All rights for the film have been sold to Pyramide Distribution for France, JinJin Pictures for South Korea and Cinobo for Greece.

“Sex” follows two men in heterosexual marriages, who have an unexpected experience that challenges them to reconsider their understanding of sexuality, gender and identity. One has a sexual encounter with another man, without considering it either as an expression of homosexuality or infidelity and discusses it with his wife afterwards. The other finds himself in nocturnal dreams where he is seen as a woman, stirring confusion and leading him to question how much his personality is shaped by the gaze of others.

Had your fill of punishing investigations into toxic masculinity? Then the thoughtful questioning, sensitivity, low-key humor and refreshing candor of Norwegian director Dag Johan Haugerud’s Sex might be your antidote. Turning the male character study on its head with a gentle subversiveness that recalls what The Worst Person in the World did with romantic comedy, this superbly acted drama’s refusal to serve up tidy epiphanies might leave you wanting more. But the inchoate nature of the central characters’ self-reflection is partly the point in a smart movie with a lot on its mind.

The first entry in a trilogy by the writer-director called Sex Dreams Love, it centers on two friends — both of them married and ostensibly heterosexual — who work for the same chimney-sweeping company. That profession might more readily conjure associations with Mary Poppins, but these guys are no jaunty jacks-of-all-trades. They are methodical professionals providing a specialized service in contemporary Oslo,...

M-Appeal will handle the world sales for “Sex,” the first part of the “Sex Dreams Love” trilogy by Norway’s Dag Johan Haugerud. The film will have its world premiere in the Panorama strand of Berlinale on Feb. 17.

“Sex” follows two men in heterosexual marriages, who have an unexpected experience that challenges them to reconsider their understanding of sexuality, gender and identity. One has a sexual encounter with another man, without considering it either as an expression of homosexuality or infidelity and discusses it with his wife afterwards. The other finds himself in nocturnal dreams where he is seen as a woman, stirring confusion and leading him to question how much his personality is shaped by the gaze of others.

Jan Gunnar Røise and Thorbjørn Harr star as the protagonists, a chimney sweeper and a CEO, both grappling with the impact that their recent experiences is having on their relationships.

“Beware of Children” director Dag Johan Haugerud is ready to talk about “Sex” as the first part of his anticipated “Sex Dreams Love” trilogy is heading to Berlinale’s Panorama in February.

“Making a film called ‘Sex’ calls for all sorts of jokes and misunderstandings during production, everything from being summoned to a ‘sex-meeting’ to emails being censored because someone had written ‘sex-props’ in the subject field,” he tells Variety ahead of the trailer premiere.

“As for the screenplay, there aren’t that many jokes about sex in it. Some awkward humor, yes. But the main point has been about trying to show the short span between ecstatic pleasure and shame. There are – and might always be – two sides of the same coin when it comes to sex, which also means that the uncomfortable and the funny sit quite tight.”

Norwegian drama will focus on two men in heterosexual marriages...

BBC Basks In Norwegian Afterglow

The BBC has acquired Norwegian comedy drama ‘Afterglow’ for BBC Four and BBC iPlayer. The 7×45 minute series tells the story of Ester Sand, the one person you think will live forever, who finds out she has cervical cancer on her 40th birthday. But after the initial shock, it’s Ester who comforts the people in her life and she has no intention of leaving the world just yet. “ ‘Afterglow’ is a story of love and life and all of the glorious and silly things we do before we die,” the broadcaster said. “Afterglow” stars Nina Ellen Odegaard (“Possession”), Torbjorn Harr (“Vikings”), Sara Khorami (“Witch Hunt”) and Hermann Sabado (“Home for Christmas”). It was created by Kjetil Indregard and Atle Knudsen, who also acts as director. It was produced by Monster Scripted for Nrk, with rights handled by Reinvent International Sales. “Funny, sad, honest and touching,...

Acclaimed Norwegian helmer Dag Johan Haugerud (“Beware of Children”) has attached actors Thorbjørn Harr as well as Jan Gunnar Røise for the title roles in “Sex,” one of three pics with “Dream” and “Love” that form part of a trilogy about sexuality, longing and transgression.

The project is being produced by Yngve Sæther and Hege Hauff Hvattum for Motlys, in association with Viaplay and the local theatrical distributor Arthaus.

“Sex Dreams Love” will be pitched as a works in progress at the forthcoming Göteborg Film Festival’s parallel Nordic Film Market, which runs Feb. 2-5.

Harr and Røise earned respectively a Norwegian Amanda film award for best supporting actor and best actor for Haugerud’s “Beware of Children,” which snagged a 2020 Dragon Award for best Nordic film at Göteborg.

In “Sex,” set to start shooting this spring, the actors play two colleagues who in different ways are struggling with their sexuality.

Shout! Studios has acquired North American distribution rights to family film “Three Wishes for Cinderella,” starring Norwegian pop singer Astrid Smeplass, in a deal with Sola Media.

The retelling of the classic tale was a big hit in Norway, only outperformed by “No Time to Die” in last year’s box office. It is directed by Cecilie A. Mosli, whose credits include “Grey’s Anatomy.”

Other cast include Cengiz Al (“Skam”), Thorbjørn Harr (“Vikings”), Nasrin Khusrawi (“Lilyhammer”), Bjørn Sundquist (“Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters”), Kristofer Hivju (“Game of Thrones”), Ellen Dorrit (“The Worst Person in the World”), and Ingrid Giæver (“Thelma”).

Shout! has previously partnered with Sola on other family films, including “Snowtime,” “Swift” and “Dreambuilders.”

Solveig Langeland, managing director of Sola, said: “ ‘Three Wishes for Cinderella’ is a modern charming and atmospheric fairy tale suited for every generation. Our Cinderella is kind and beautiful yet independent and strong; she is...

Scandinavian pop star Astrid Smeplass stars in a reworking of the classic fairytale.

Shout! Studios has taken North American rights for Norwegian box office hit Three Wishes For Cinderella, starring Scandinavian pop star Astrid Smeplass, from German outfit Sola Media and is planning a theatrical release.

Cengiz Al and Thorbjørn Harr co-star in the film is directed by Cecilie A. Mosli, which is a reworking of the classic fairytale. Cinderella lives with her cruel stepmother and spoiled stepsister Dora who treat her like a servant in her own home. During one of her daily escapes to the forest, Cinderella prevents...

In Monster Scripted’s seven-episode series “Afterglow,” hailing from Norway, Ester – mother, wife and a friend – finds out she has cancer. But instead of giving in to pain, she “demands joy,” actress Nina Ellen Ødegård told Variety at Canneseries after its premiere in main competition. REinvent handles sales.

“She gets desperate, in a way, and I find it so true,” she says about her spirited character who refuses to be victimized. Ødegård, also a regular in supernatural Nordic noir “Seizure,” embraced – and loved – Ester’s failings.

“After seeing the first episodes again, I thought: ‘I am so rude!’ But we wanted to show her being as human as possible, so that others can hopefully recognize themselves in her struggle. I haven’t experienced illness [knocks on wood], but when I became a mother, I was also obnoxious to my friends. I always felt like I didn’t have enough time. Once you experience something life-changing,...

The fifth edition will see the TV festival return to its original springtime slot to run alongside MipTV.

French Oscar-winning director Xavier De Lestrade’s investigative thriller The Inside Game, Seeds Of Wrath and Danish bio-series The Dreamer – Becoming Karen Blixen are among the 10 new series selected for competition in the upcoming edition of French TV festival Canneseries (April 1-6).

The fifth edition sees the event return its traditional springtime slot coinciding with the MipTV content market (April 4-6), after the festival moved to September in 2021 due to the Covid-pandemic.

Political thriller The Inside Game, Seeds Of Wrath stars Alix Poisson...

Lionsgate’s Voyagers isn’t your ordinary “the human race is in danger” sci fi romp.

Written and directed by Neil Burger Voyagers follows a group of young men and women bred specifically to have a great level of intelligence and obedience as they embark on an expedition to colonize a distant planet.

Sounds like good, safe fun, right? Well, if it was it wouldn’t be a movie worth watching.

It doesn’t take long for the young group of what could be manufactured automatons to start to uncover disturbing secrets about the mission. As things begin to unravel, they defy their training and begin to explore their most primitive natures. As a result, the entire ship becomes chaos in space as they’re consumed by fear, lust, and the insatiable hunger for power.

Voyagers stars Tye Sheridan, Lily-Rose Depp, Fionn Whitehead, Chanté Adams, Isaac Hempstead Wright,...

Known to international audiences for his role in hit TV series Vikings, back on home soil, Thorbjørn Harr is a big star – and this much is evident, in his leading role in the captivating action drama The Tunnel, about a firefighter/father, on a mission to save his daughter. We had the pleasure of speaking to Harr about this role, and on his respect he has for those who risk their lives to save others.

We also ask about the ambitions of the Norwegian film industry and whether he feels any pressure on moving Stateside for his career. He also talks about the (friendly) rivalry between Scandinavian nations, how much he owes to Vikings, and on his music career…

Watch the full interview with Thorbjørn Harr here:

Synopsis

When a truck crashes inside a tunnel, people on their way home for Christmas are brutally trapped in a deadly fire. With a blizzard raging outside,...

From Snakes On A Plane to Ashfall, modern disaster movies have a tendency to try and come up with the worst possible scenario, no matter how silly, then watch as experts and amateurs alike try to deal with it. For extra points, they make use of unique or unusual settings. The Tunnel takes a purist approach to this formula, with very little else going on. There's a storm coming. A couple of truckers decide to rush to make their route ahead of it. One of them crashes pretty much exactly halfway through a five mile tunnel, which is under a mountain. Then it explodes. Oh, and the bus full of people in there with it is carrying the lead firefighter's resentful teenage daughter.

Said firefighter, Stein (Thorbjørn Harr), is best known outside Norway for his work in popular series Vikings, and still looks the part here, with a gigantic blond beard.

Tagline: "Two Ways In - No Way Out." The Tunnel is a film from Norway. From Norwegian director Pål Øie (Villmark 2), this latest release focuses on an obstructed tunnel, in which a tanker trunk has been damaged. Now, everyone inside this cavern are forced to find a way out as time runs out. As well, The Tunnel stars: Thorbjørn Harr ("Vikings"), Ylva Lyng Fuglerud and Lisa Carlehed. The film's U.S. trailer and poster are here. A father is in search of his daughter, in this official trailer. Determined to find her, he will risk smoke and fire as oxygen wears out in this brutal traffic accident. As survivors dwindle, these first responders will have to risk everything to save others. Samuel Goldwyn Films will release The Tunnel this April. To show in some theatres and on Digital, The Tunnel brings a catastrophe to the screen April 9th. For fans of disaster titles,...

International sales agency Sola Media, which is taking part in Hong Kong’s Filmart this week, has boarded the Norwegian remake of Czech classic film “Three Wishes for Cinderella,” with pop music star Astrid Smeplass, better known as Astrid S, playing Cinderella.

Smeplass’ tracks have generated more than 2.3 billion streams with hit singles such as “Hurts So Good,” “Think Before I Talk” and “Emotion.”

Smeplass said of Václav Vorlícek’s 1973 classic: “It is such an important film. When I was young, I admired the original version of Cinderella a lot, and I hope that we will reach a wide female audience who will see that they can be just as brave and courageous as she.“

Sola’s Solveig Langeland, who acts as an executive producer on the film, said it would be “an incredibly modern and feminist yet charming and atmospheric fairy-tale.”

Langeland said that Cinderella would be portrayed as “kind and beautiful,...

"It's your own responsibility to get out." Samuel Goldwyn Films has debuted the official US trailer for the Norwegian disaster movie called The Tunnel, from Norwegian filmmaker Pål Øie. Not to be confused with the Norwegian sci-fi short film also called The Tunnel, this one is a real-life thriller similar to the 90s action blockbuster Daylight. When a tanker truck crashes inside a tunnel, people on their way home for Christmas are brutally trapped in a deadly fire. With a blizzard raging outside, and the first responders struggling to get to the accident, it's every man for himself. Will the help get there in time? Starring Thorbjørn Harr, Ylva Lyng Fuglerud, Lisa Carlehed, Mikkel Bratt Silset, Peter Førde, Daniel Alexander Skadal, and Per Egil Aske. This orignially opened in theaters in Norway in 2019, and is just now finally getting a VOD release in the US starting this April. Might be...

"What separates us from animals?" Netflix has unveiled an official trailer for a Norwegian post-apocalyptic thriller titled Cadaver, from young Norwegian filmmaker Jarand Herdal. Set in the aftermath of a nuclear disaster, the film is about a family of struggling survivors who discover a hotel that entices them with a free meal and a theater play. When they arrive, the director, Mathias (Thorbjørn Harr), introduces the entire hotel as the stage. Attendees are given masks to help separate them from actors, but the play takes an eerie turn when audience members start to disappear. Starring Gitte Witt, Thomas Gullestad, Tuva Olivia Remman, Thorbjørn Harr, Maria Grazia De Meo, Trine Wiggen, and Bente Børsum. Oh my, this is a super freaky concept combined with intense post-apocalyptic dread - scary in all the right wrong ways. Here's the first official trailer for Jarand Herdal's Cadaver, direct from Netflix's YouTube: In the aftermath of a nuclear disaster,...

Nine wins out of ten nominations is the excellent result for Dag Johan Haugerud's film at the 2020 Amanda ceremony, held at Haugesund on Friday night. That is one more of the coveted statuettes in the shape of a feisty fisherwoman than was carried home in 2017 by former record-holder The King’s Choice, setting a tough bar for future contenders. Beware of Children, Dag Johan Haugerud’s intimate study (featuring mainly adults) of the accidental death of a child caused by another child brought wins for Best Feature Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay (both Haugerud), Best Actor (Jan Gunnar Røise) and Best Supporting Actor (Thorbjørn Harr) as well as a handsome array of accolades for assorted technical achievements. A worthy grand slam winner, is the general consensus. Close to being just as worthy, and close in nominations — eight of them — was the exquisitely executed Hope, Maria Sødahl’s autobiographical...

"You are saying Elise is in the tunnel?" Signature Ent. has released an official UK trailer for the Norwegian action survival thriller called The Tunnel, originally titled Tunnelen in Norwegian. The Norwegian movie industry seems to be going through every 90s disaster movie trope - now they're remaking Daylight. When a truck crashes inside a tunnel, people on their way home for Christmas are brutally trapped in a deadly fire. With a blizzard raging outside, and the first responders struggling to get to the accident, it's every man for himself. Starring Thorbjørn Harr, Ylva Lyng Fuglerud, Lisa Carlehed, Mikkel Bratt Silset, Peter Førde, Daniel Alexander Skadal, and Per Egil Aske. This actually looks legit - at least the opening act. As for the rest of what happens once they're stuck, you'll have to watch to find out who makes it out safely. Here's the new UK trailer (+ original Norwegian poster...

"Got one more in ya, pup?" Disney has debuted an official trailer for another big sled dog adventure survival movie titled Togo, to go along with their Call of the Wild adaptation (arriving in theaters next March). This movie is going straight to their streaming service Disney+, skipping theaters entirely. This movie tells the story of the sled dog Togo, who led the famous 1925 serum run to Nome, Alaska, running over 300+ miles with his musher Leonhard Seppala. Togo is the third movie we've featured this year about the 1925 serum run and the dogs involved in it - including Great Alaskan Race and Disney's own Call of the Wild. In the movie, Willem Dafoe stars as Leonhard Seppala, with a cast including Julianne Nicholson, Christopher Heyerdahl, Michael Gaston, Michael McElhatton, Jamie McShane, Michael Greyeyes, as well as Thorbjørn Harr. This looks better than any of the other sled dog movies, might be worth a watch afterall.

Stars: Ethan Hawke, Noomi Rapace, Mark Strong, Christopher Heyerdahl, Bea Santos, Mark Rendall, Ian Matthews, John Ralston, Shanti Roney, Christopher Wagelin, Thorbjørn Harr | Written and Directed by Robert Budreau

1973, Stockholm, Sweden: Self-styled outlaw Lars Nystrom, high on pills, wearing a wig, shades and a cowboy hat, walks into a bank, pulls out a machine gun and fires into the ceiling, cranks up his portable radio, then declares ‘the party has begun’. He takes two bank workers hostage and demands his friend Gunnar is released from prison, $1million, and a getaway car. As negotiations with the police reach a deadlock, one of the hostages, married mother Bianca, initially terrified by being held captive by the erratic Lars, becomes sympathetic, then strangely attracted to him. As the net tightens, and Lars is forced to take desperate measures, Bianca finds herself siding with criminal over cops.

The Captor, aka Stockholm, is directed by...

The film is based on a real-life tanker collision incident.

TrustNordisk has closed a number of deals on its Norwegian disaster thriller The Tunnel.

The film has now sold to Germany, Austria and German-speaking Switzerland (SquareOne), Mexico and Latin America (Califorinia Filmes), Korea (Activers Entertainment), China (Dd Dream), Malaysia and Philippines (Cm Holdings), and Bulgaria (bTV). TrustNordisk will show first footage of the film in its promo reel screening tomorrow (May 15).

Pål Øie directs based on a script by Kjersti Helen Rasmussen. Based on a real-life incident, the story follows what happens when a tanker truck collides and catches on fire in a tunnel.

Ever wonder where the phrase Stockholm syndrome came from? The answer can more or less be found in Robert Budreau’s bank-heist biopic “Stockholm.” The film announces its intentions from the start, boldly declaring itself “Based on an absurd but true story.” Neither claim — the absurdity, nor the truth — is entirely accurate, leading to a movie that is both intermittently compelling and consistently uneven.

Budreau certainly has enough to work with, having adapted a lengthy 1974 New Yorker story about a still-infamous robbery in Sweden. Though the names and, as it turns out, some crucial details have been changed, the script hews fairly close to the basic event. An impish Hawke blasts things off as Lars Nystrom, the Swedish-born, American-raised troublemaker who announces his arrival at Stockholm’s biggest bank by blaring Bob Dylan on the radio while simultaneously brandishing a machine gun.

The first person to notice his softer side...

Stockholm Sgm and Dark Star Reviewed for Shockya.com & BigAppleReviews.net & linked from Rotten Tomatoes by: Harvey Karten Director: Robert Budreau Screenwriter: Robert Budreau, inspired by a 1974 New Yorker magazine article “The Bank Drama” Cast: Noomi Rapace, Ethan Hawke, Mark Strong, Christopher Heyerdahl, Bea Santos, Thorbjørn Harr Screened at: Tribeca, NYC, 3/15/19 Opens: April […]

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"All of Sweden would like to know: what is it like being stuck in there with those criminals?" Dark Star has debuted the first official trailer for the indie crime comedy Stockholm, made by Canadian director Robert Budreau. This true crime film tells the strange story of the infamous 1973 hostage crisis in Stockholm, which is where the term "Stockholm Syndrome" originates. Ethan Hawke stars as Lars, a "charming, bumbling, Bob Dylan-loving crook" who one day tries to rob the biggest bank in Stockholm, Sweden, taking the bank staff and patrons hostage. But as they soon discover, he's not all that he seems, and soon enough some of the hostages begin to help him figure out how to safely escape with the money. Also starring Noomi Rapace, Christopher Heyerdahl, Bea Santos, Thorbjørn Harr, John Ralston, and Mark Rendall. So this looks as amusing and as crazy as it sounds, but...

Review By Peter Belsito

Stockholm was the best film I saw at the recent Whistler Film Festival in British Columbia.

Many of us are familiar with the term “Stockholm Syndrome”, a phenomenon where imprisoned or kidnapped hostages start to identify emotionally or politically with their captors. The Patty Hearst story is probably one of its most famous examples.

In the most legendary and spectacular case of “Stockholm Syndrome” — the 1974 Patty Hearst affair, the kidnap victim swung all the way over to the other side. Yet that was far from typical. Patty, the 20-year-old heiress who wedded herself to the “revolutionary” Symbionese Liberation Army, was photographed sporting a beret and a born-again moniker (Tania!) and a machine gun.

This is Not about that incident at all.

This film is about the original story from which that the term takes its name. And it is far more complex and interesting than the title might suggest.

22 July Netflix Reviewed by: Harvey Karten Director: Paul Greengrass Screenwriter: Paul Greengrass based on Asne Seierstad’s book “One of Us” Cast: Anders Danielsen Lie, Jon Øigarden, Jonas Strand Gravli, Maria Bock, Thorbjørn Harr, Ola G. Furuseth, Seda Witt, Isak Bakli Aglen Screened at: Park Ave., NYC, 9/25/18 Opens: October 20, 2018 There is no […]

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Showcasing just three movies, today’s Netflix panel was a fascinating insight into the wide-ranging tastes of a company fast changing the landscape of the film industry.

First up was the Coen brothers’ portmanteau western, The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs, which was represented by an all-actor line-up comprising Zoe Kazan, Bill Heck, Harry Melling and Tim Blake Nelson, who plays the titular Buster Scruggs himself.

Talking to Deadline’s Nancy Tartaglione, Blake Nelson revealed that the project had been in gestation for a very long time, and that he was the first actor approached. “When I was given the script, [my story] was the only one that had been written,” he said. “I read the rest of them after they were written, which was 15 years later, and I was certainly excited to be a part of it because the other scripts were just as fantastic as the one I was doing.”

Given...

While most audience members know Paul Greengrass best as the director of the two best regarded Jason Bourne movies, that’s not where his true specialty resides. He’s far more at home crafting hard hitting docudramas. Bloody Sunday was his calling card film, while United 93 remains his finest hour. It’s in that vein that his latest work firmly sits. 22 July not only marks Greengrass’ return to this style of movie making, it also represents his first foray into putting something out on Netflix. A long and somber true story like this may not be your first assumption for a Netflix release, but the quality here should draw you in. If you don’t know what 22 July stands for, it represents the day that Norway suffered the worst terrorist attack in that country’s history. Taking place on July 22nd back in 2011, extreme right wing terrorist Anders Behring Breivik...

With awards season kicking into gear off the back of the fall festivals, Deadline’s international Contenders events kick off next month in London with a star-packed lineup and a shiny new venue.

Over the course of the day, set for Saturday, October 13, we’ll welcome Nicole Kidman, Hugh Grant, Letitia Wright, Mahershala Ali and more to our stage, presenting clips and discussing their latest projects in front of a packed house of voters. And it’s a mark of how essential The Contenders has become on the long road to Oscar that this year’s London event is set to be bigger and better than the last.

After a hearty breakfast, sponsored by Amazon Studios, our 12-studio, 21-film day kicks off with Universal, which will bring Viggo Mortensen, Ali and writer-director Peter Farrelly to discuss Tiff Audience Award winner Green Book. And producer Janet Healy and art director Colin Stimpson...

22 July Trailer Paul Greengrass‘ 22 July (2018) movie trailer stars Thorbjørn Harr, Anders Danielsen Lie, Jon Øigarden, Lars Arentz-Hansen, and Anneke von der Lippe. 22 July‘s plot synopsis: based on the book by Åsne Seierstad, “In Norway on 22 July 2011, right-wing terrorist Anders Behring Breivik murdered 77 young people attending a Labour Party Youth [...]

Continue reading: 22 July (2018) Movie Trailer: Paul Greengrass’ Film about Norway’s Deadliest Terrorist Attack...