Swedish helmer Jens Jonsson, who is currently editing Netflix’s “Young Wallander,” is set to direct the political thriller “Eight Months” (“Åtta månader”), based on acclaimed Swedish author Magnus Montelius’ suspense eponymous novel. Swedish scribe Erik Ahrnbom (“The Bridge,” “Stockholm Stories,” “Arne Dahl”) will be adapting for television.
Published last year by Albert Bonniers Förlag, the book was recently voted best foreign suspense novel by the Danish Crime Academy and tagged by Swedish crime guru Leif G.W. Persson as “literary entertainment at its best.”
Established Swedish production company Anagram has just closed the book deal and received development coin from Swedish broadcaster TV4 and SVOD service CMore.
The deal was announced today at Göteborg’s TV Drama Vision confab.
“Eight Months” is a thriller about power and the people who are prepared to do anything to conquer it. Thanks to a tip off, journalist Nina Wedén publishes the scoop of the year, exposing Sweden’s foreign minister as a sex client. When the minister resigns, a new foreign minister – Jacob Weiss – takes office, and appoints Nina as his press secretary. Dubious rumors and shady people circulate around Weiss, and Nina is forced to question who is actually in control of the corridors of power. At the same time, political advisor Max Boije starts investigating Weiss’s past and discovers a gap of eight months. When one of his sources is found murdered, Max realizes he has stumbled on a secret that someone finds worth killing for.
Elin Kvist, head of development at C More and TV4, said that “Eight Months” has everything the group loves in a strong thriller: “Characters who you are thrown between completely trusting and suddenly disbelieving, high tension, great secrets and an insight into a world we don’t usually have access to. The book was a page turner and we have high hopes that the series can be just as thrilling with Jens Jonsson and Erik Ahrnbom on board,” she added.
Jonsson told Variety: “Eight Months” is a great topical story dealing with the complex relationships between the press, politicians and power in place. It mixes dark satire, humor and thriller elements, which makes it for a perfect entertainment.”
Anagram’s exec producer Martin Persson said Belgian co-producer Belga Films has already come on board and various distributors have started to circle the project.
Persson is in Göteborg this week with the Swedish/Norwegian show “The Machinery” as part of the showcase “Coming Next from the Nordics.” The action-packed thriller will bow on NENT Group’s streamer Viaplay later this year.