Scandinavian major NENT Group has commissioned romantic drama “Harmonica” from Warner Bros. International Television Production Sweden.
The Swedish series has been co-created by Josephine Bornebusch, whose previous drama “Love Me” has performed strongly on NENT Group’s Viaplay streaming service in the Nordic region, and was recently renewed for a second season.
The six-episode “Harmonica” is co-written and co-directed by Bornebusch and Jonas Karlsson, who also star. They play country music duo Harmonica, who topped the charts in the 1990s, but whose life has been out of key ever since. In an effort to salvage their career and relationship, the couple embark on a tour of Europe that brings their problems to a crescendo but also offers them a chance to find harmony together.
“Harmonica” is produced by Sofie Palage for Warner Bros. International Television Production Sweden. Filming will start in April in Sweden and Belgium, and it will premiere on Viaplay in 2021.
The greenlight for “Harmonica” comes as NENT Group ramps up its original productions, with more than 30 set to debut in 2020.
In the past six months, crime series “Box 21,” food and lifestyle documentary series “The Art of Living” and kids series “The Great Escape” have premiered.
Filippa Wallestam, NENT Group chief content officer, said: “Josephine Bornebusch has an exceptional ability to turn the drama of our relationships into unique stories that captivate an entire region. Audiences have already fallen for ‘Love Me,’ and the combination of Bornebusch and Jonas Karlsson will make ‘Harmonica’ an equally compelling experience.”
In January last year, NENT Group announced a U.K.-based joint venture with FilmNation Entertainment to develop, produce and finance scripted television content.
In May, NENT Group invested in a minority stake in Erik Feig’s U.S. production company Picturestart.