“The Bridge” creator Hans Rosenfeldt is set to adapt Astrid Lindgren’s bestselling book “Ronja the Robber’s Daughter” into a fantasy series for NENT Group.
The Swedish-language series will be directed by Lisa James Larsson (“Victoria”), and produced by Bonnie Skoog Feeney and Mattias Arehn (“Beartown”) at Filmlance, a Banijay company. Sara Askelöf for NENT Group is executive producing.
The show has been ordered by NENT Group’s streamer Viaplay as its next major original. “Ronja the Robber’s Daughter” will premiere exclusively on the leading Nordic platform in 2023 with two seasons of 12 episodes. Casting for “Ronja” currently taking place.
“Ronja the Robber’s Daughter” is among the world’s most translated and bestselling authors with more than 75 books published. Lindgren, whose best known characters include Pippi Longstocking, Emil in Lönneberga and The Children of Noisy Village, has seen her books translated into over 100 languages and sold more than 165 million copies. As many as 70 feature films and TV productions have been adapted on the author’s novels, according to NENT Group.
The series follows the adventures of a young girl born into a band of robbers in a medieval Scandinavian fortress. As Ronja grows up, she learns that the surrounding forest can be a magical and sometimes dangerous place filled with strange creatures. But when Ronja befriends the young boy Birk from a rival band, a vicious family feud ignites. Ronja and Birk flee into the forest and try to survive on their own.
“Ronja’s confidence and complexity make her one of my all-time favourite characters,” said Filippa Wallestam, NENT Group’s CCO. The executive said it was a “classic story of a strong and independent girl was always far ahead of its time, and its themes of friendship, closeness to nature and questioning one’s assumptions are so relevant today.”
Arehn and Feeney at Filmlance said the “story of Ronja is a timeless story about the struggles to find your own place in the world, go your own way and be your own person.”
“All of this in a world that is complicated, dangerous but also wonderful and magical. With the huge support we have received from NENT Group, we want to produce a series that is an epic and thrilling adventure, an homage to nature, for the entire family,” added the pair.
Cilla Nergårdh, CEO of The Astrid Lindgren Company, said the banner worked closely with the creative team on this project.
Aside with Nordic content, NENT Group recently announced its ambition to produce two major English-language films about Nordic figures and events, beginning with “Hilma,” a biopic of the Swedish artist and feminist pioneer Hilma af Klint, written and directed by Lasse Hallström (“The Cider House Rules”) and starring Lena Olin (“Enemies”).