News

REinvent International Sales has boarded “Second Victims,” a psychological drama directed by Zinnini Elkington which shot on location at Denmark’s Herlev Hospital.

Set against the backdrop of an understaffed stroke unit, the film follows skilled neurologist Alexandra whose unwavering confidence is put to the ultimate test when a routine case spirals into tragedy. Blame and guilt ripple through the hospital, pushing Alexandra to confront her own fallibility and the profound repercussions of medical errors. Currently in post, the film is produced by Johannes Rothaus Nørregaard for Meta Film. Sf Studios will release it in the Nordics.

“Second Victims” is led by a duo of Scandinavian stars, Özlem Saglanmak, whose credits include “Borgen,” and Trine Dyrholm, who previously starred in Susanne Bier’s Oscar winning “In A Better World” and Sundance’s Audience Award winner “Queen of Hearts.” The cast is completed by Anders Matthesen, the creator of hit franchise “Checkered Ninja,...

LevelK has signed key territory deals for Danish family animation Mumbo Jumbo, from prolific Scandinavian production company A. Film Production.

The film has sold to France (Gebeka Films), Middle East (Empire Networks Ltd.), Poland (Vivarto), Benelux (Just4Kids bv), Hungary (Ads Service ltd), Estonia (Estinfilm), Greece (Rosebud.21 S.A), Former Yugoslavia (Demiurg), Bulgaria (Pro Films Ood) and Cis (Silver Box/Russian Report). Further deals are in the works.

The film, currently in pre-production, will be pitched this week at animation industry event Cartoon Movie (March 5-7). Nordisk Film will release the film in Scandinavia in 2025.

3D CGI animation Mumbo Jumbo...

The first two films were released in 2018 and 2021 and set box-office records in Denmark.

Just in time for AFM, LevelK has boarded international sales for Checkered Ninja 3, the third film in the hit animation franchise.

The team is reunited from the first two films: Anders Matthesen (The Trouble With Terkel) and Thorbjørn Christoffersen (Ronal The Barbarian) directing from a screenplay by Anders Matthesen.

Producers are Trine Heidegaard and Anders Mastrup (The Incredible Story Of The Giant Pear) for Pop Up Production, A. Film Production and Sudoku.

Nordisk plans to release in Denmark in August 2025.

For the third installment, the story...

Jon Holmberg writes and directs, with animation by Oscar nominee Karsten Killerich and Stine Buhl.

TrustNordisk has boarded international sales for 3D animation Super Charlie.

The family animated action-adventure story is based on the popular book series of the same name. The author is Camilla Läckberg, famous for her adult crime novels such as The Ice Princess, who makes her debut as a children’s writer with the Super Charlie series – the books are already available in more than 60 countries.

The story is about a special baby with superpowers and his 10-year-old brother who wants to fight crimes.

Jon Holmberg (Sune vs.

International sales and aggregation company LevelK has boarded Danish 3D animation “Mumbo Jumbo.”

The project, which has kicked off its pre-production phase, is based on the beloved children’s book by Jakob Martin Strid (“The Incredible Story of the Giant Pear”). It will be written and directed by Karsten Kiilerich and produced by Anders Mastrup for A. Film Production.

When Mumbo Jumbo magically grows to giant size, he has to go on a dangerous journey with his three friends, to find the scary witch Baba Yaga so she can turn him small again. It is an adventurous journey which might make Mumbo Jumbo small again, but a whole lot bigger on the inside.

A. Film Production is one of Scandinavia’s most prolific animation companies with their CGI and classically animated feature films and TV series having found appreciative audiences over the past 30 years around the world. The company is...

New Release Wall

“Elvis” (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment): Baz Luhrmann’s obsessions are piled on top of other obsessions that are themselves mashed up with ongoing tendencies toward spectacle, extravagance and emotional extremes — that whole “Moulin Rouge!” ethos of Truth Beauty Freedom Love — and this big loud biopic/love letter to Elvis Presley is a visual and sonic blast, with an uncanny Austin Butler as the King. You don’t even have to like the late legend’s music to enjoy this juggernaut of sensation, just find a friend with a giant-screen TV (this one’s already available in 4K) and very loud sound.

Also available:

“Batman: The Long Halloween” (Deluxe Edition) (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment): The Caped Crusader has to hunt down a killer that strikes on various holidays in this two-part animated feature.

“The Black Phone” (Universal): A resourceful boy (with assistance from his visions-having...

TrustNordisk has closed a flurry of sales on a pair of 3D-animated family features, “Little Allan — The Human Antenna” and “Just Super,” underscoring the market appeal of independent youth-skewing movies.

“Little Allan – The Human Antenna” marks Danish film Amalie Naesby Fick’s follow up to her commercially successful debut “The Incredible Story of The Giant Pear,” which premiered in the the Generation Kplus section at Berlin in 2018. She also had her drama series “Sex” selected for the Berlinale Series.

The film takes place during summer vacation, when introverted, 11-year old Allan starts acting as a human antenna for his old neighbor, who thinks a huge invasion fleet from the outer space is on its way. When the antenna construction collapses, Allan is only barely saved by the alien girl Britney, who is doing a school project about the primitive human race.

TrustNordisk has sold it to France (Kmbo), Russia and...

2021 was another annus horribilis for cinemagoing in the Nordics, due to on-going and strict Covid restrictions that halved admissions compared to pre-pandemic levels.

Released late September/early October when cinemas for once ran at full capacity, “No Time to Die” literally saved the film year, and even ranked No. 1 among all James Bond movies ever released in Denmark.

Aside from Sweden, strong homegrown offers such as “Checkered Ninja 2” in Denmark, “Class Reunion 3” in Finland, “Cop Secret” in Iceland, “Three Wishes for Cinderella” in Norway enabled the Nordic nations to secure bullish market shares.

Denmark

In 2021, “No Time to Die” smashed all B.O. records for a James Bond movie in Denmark. That, however, didn’t prevent overall ticket sales from plummeting 45% from 2019, due to the pandemic.

The Danish film year opened and ended with closed cinemas, and faced a record 138 days of full cinema lockdown, according to the cinema association Danske biografer.

LevelK has closed a flurry of major pre-sales on “Checkered Ninja 2,” the sequel to the 2018 blockbuster animated feature that broke a 35-year record at the Danish B.O. for a local film with 950,000 admissions. Directed by Anders Matthesen (“Terkel In Trouble”) and Thorbjørn Christoffersen (“Ronal the Barbarian”), the film also traveled to more than 50 territories.

Now in post-production, “Checkered Ninja 2” has pre-sold to Koba Films for France, Splendid for Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Poland. LevelK also pre-sold the feature to Spain and Colombia (Cinemaran).

The sales company is currently negotiating further deals at the EFM. The film’s producer, Trine Heidegaard (“Ronal the Barbarian”) from Pop Up Production, and animation director Thorbjørn Christoffersen will next week pitch the sequel at Cartoon Movie, the co-production market dedicated to animation.

“Checkered Ninja 2,” which is scheduled to have its local release in the fall, is the film version of Matthesen’s bestselling children...

LevelK has boarded “Checkered Ninja 2,” the sequel to the hit animated feature co-directed by Anders Matthesen (“Terkel In Trouble”) and Thorbjørn Christoffersen (“Ronal the Barbarian”).

The sales company has acquired world rights excluding the Nordics on “Checkered Ninja 2,” which is the film adaptation of Matthesen’s bestselling eponymous children’s book. The plot revolves around Alex and the Checkered Ninja who embark on a frantic hunt for the villain Phillip Eppermint, who has evaded a prison sentence in Thailand.

“Checkered Ninja” broke Danish box-office records in 2018, selling 950,000 admissions, and traveled to more than 50 territories. In France, it was widely released on 500 screens after playing at the Annecy festival.

Matthesen, who penned the movie, said “the ambitions for this new film are even higher than on the first one.”

“Thorbjørn Christoffersen and I feel that we have a really good and funny story and that everything will look five to six...

Danish black comedy also picked up for Switzerland, Anz and Brazil.

France and Japan are among several new territories to snap up Anders Thomas Jensen’s Riders Of Justice, starring Mads Mikkelsen, from TrustNordisk.

The Danish black comedy has been acquired by France (Snd – Groupe M6), Japan (Klockworx), Switzerland (Ascot Elite), Australia and New Zealand (Rialto), and Brazil (Synapse).

Recent deals were closed for the US (Magnet Releasing) and UK (Vertigo Releasing).

The film had its local release in Denmark on November 19, reporting 150,000 admissions on its opening weekend – the biggest in Denmark this year. It also ranked as the biggest...

Sf Studios has boarded “Toscana,” Mehdi Avaz’s upcoming romantic drama starring Anders Matthesen that just started filming.

A tribute to love and food, “Toscana” also stars Christiana Dell’Anna (“Gomorra”) and Andrea Bosca (“Quantico”), as well as Ghita Nørby (“Silent Heart”), Lærke Winther (“Dicte”) and the singer Christopher. Matthesen, one of Denmark’s most popular actors, previously starred in the award-winning film “Out of Tune” and in the local hit movie “Ternet Ninja.”

Sf Studios is planning to release “Toscana” in theaters across the Nordics in December 2021. It marks the third feature film by Avaz, who made his feature debut with “While We Live” in 2017 and his sophomore outing with the 2019 drama “Collision.” The filmmaker also produced the critically acclaimed TV show “Alfa,” which recently bowed on TV2 Zulu.

“In a very short time I have become the father of two lovely boys, which has greatly changed my focus on life.

Leonine is opening Russell Crowe thriller ‘Unhinged’ in Germany.

As cinemas begin to reopen again in many territories, Screen is tracking which films are being released in key territories each week.

Cinema reopening dates around the world: latest updates France, opening Wednesday July 15

The French box office entered its fourth full week of activity on July 15, following the reopening of cinemas on June 22 after their 14-week Covid-19 hiatus.

New films on release this week include Francois Ozon’s young adult drama Summer Of 85. Diaphana Distribution pushed the launch forward from France’s typical Wednesday release day to Tuesday, to...

GÖTEBORG, Sweden — Home to the most dynamic streaming markets in Western Europe, the Nordic region still posted solid box office returns in 2019, especially from Hollywood tentpoles “The Lion King,” “Avengers: Endgame” and “Joker,” which ruled on all top ten charts, except in Denmark. Local fare, however, lost ground in all five territories.

Denmark

Denmark enjoyed another strong cinemagoing year in 2019, with overall revenues up 4% to Nok 1.18 billion ($175.1 million). After a record 2018, when Danish films punched a 30% market share, home-grown titles still retained 26% of the market – above the 25% average of the last decade, according to the Danish Distributors’ Assn., Fafid.

Boosted by the local animated sensation “Checkered Ninja,” total admissions for local fare reached 3.5 million. Created by comedian-turned director Anders Matthesen, a late 2018 kid’s movie release, sailed to the top of the 2019 Danish box office, earning $8.2 million and accounting for 17.7% of all tickets sold for Danish pics. Three other Danish...

Not your average ninja, nor your average kids movie about ninjas, the Danish animated feature Checkered Ninja (Ternet Ninja) lies somewhere between a clever coming-of-age cartoon and a racy comedy more suitable for a slot on Adult Swim.

The brainchild of comedian, writer and co-director Anders Matthesen (The Trouble With Terkel), who adapted from his best-selling book, this well-conceived sophomore effort has been a whopping success in Denmark, where it has scored the most admissions for a homegrown movie since the mid-1980s. Overseas sales have been brisk, although the film isn't entirely appropriate for the PG-and-under set.

Any cartoon whose ...

Not your average ninja, nor your average kids movie about ninjas, the Danish animated feature Checkered Ninja (Ternet Ninja) lies somewhere between a clever coming-of-age cartoon and a racy comedy more suitable for a slot on Adult Swim.

The brainchild of comedian, writer and co-director Anders Matthesen (The Trouble With Terkel), who adapted from his best-selling book, this well-conceived sophomore effort has been a whopping success in Denmark, where it has scored the most admissions for a homegrown movie since the mid-1980s. Overseas sales have been brisk, although the film isn't entirely appropriate for the PG-and-under set.

Any cartoon whose ...

Ole Bornedal’s World War II drama Shadows In My Eyes receives $2.4m.

As part of its new mandate to back higher-budget films, the Danish Film Institute has awarded its largest-ever feature film production grant - Dkk 16m ($2.4m) - to Ole Bornedal’s new film.

The World War II drama Shadows In My Eyes is about the real-life tragedy of 1945, when instead of bombing the Gestapo headquarters in Copenhagen, the Royal Air Force mistakenly hit the French school, killing several children and nuns.

Danish broadcaster TV2 and Sf Studios are also backing the film with a total budget of $8.6m.

The production is lead produced by Les Armateurs, the Paris-based animation house behind Belleville rendez-vous.

Screen can exclusively reveal the first English-language subtitled trailer for Zabou Breitman and Eléa Gobbé Mévellec’s feature-length animation of The Swallows Of Kabul ahead of its premiere in Un Certain Regard at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

The work is adapted from Algerian writer Yasmina Khadra’s tragic tale capturing life in Kabul in 1998, at the height of the conservative Taliban rule.

The emotional tale revolves around two couples whose lives become intertwined: one young and liberal, whose lives are at risk under the strictures of Taliban rule,...

The animation festival has also launched the Contrechamp competition.

Anders Matthesen and Thorbjørn Christoffersen’s Checkered Ninja, which has taken the Danish box office by storm, will be one of eight features showcased in the Annecy Festival’s new-look Features competition section for animated films later this year (June 10-15).

The Features line-up also includes three titles from Japan – Masaaki Yuasa’s Ride Your Wave, Yuhei Sakuragi’s The Relative Worlds and Keiichi Hara’s The Wonderland.

Annecy has also introduced a parallel competition called Contrechamp, ’for the most unique feature films, as well as those that create more challenges...

The animation festival has also launched the Contrechamp competition.

Anders Matthesen and Thorbjørn Christoffersen’s Checkered Ninja, which has taken the Danish box office by storm, will be one of eight features showcased in the Annecy Festival’s new-look Features competition section for animated films later this year (June 10-15).

The Features line-up also includes three titles from Japan – Masaaki Yuasa’s Ride Your Wave, Yuhei Sakuragi’s The Relative Worlds and Keiichi Hara’s The Wonderland.

Annecy has also introduced a parallel competition called Contrechamp, ’for the most unique feature films, as well as those that create more challenges...

Disney-Pixar’s “Toy Story 4,” Nickelodeon’s “Spongebob’s Big Birthday Blowout,” work-in progress sneak peeks at Netflix’s “Klaus” and Warner Animation Group’s “Scoob” look set to be some of the highlights at this year’s Annecy Intl. Animation Festival whose lineup was announced in Paris on Monday.

Opening, as already announced, with the world premieres of an episode from Warner Bros. Animation’s “Looney Tunes Cartoons” and Lino Disalvo’s “Playmobil: The Movie,” the biggest French production of 2019, and taking in the first screening of DreamWorks Animation’s short “Marooned,” the 2019 Annecy Festival also features Gaumont/Amazon Studios’ “Do Ré & Me.”

Running June 10-15 in a picturesque lakeside town in the French Alps, Annecy has grown year-on-year for near two decades, driven by the resurgence of animation worldwide.

This year’s event, at first glance, looks to underscore two growth drivers. A larger platform on the lake,...

Deals done in more than 50 territories.

LevelK has sold hit Danish animated feature Checkered Ninja to more than 50 territories.

Deals include for France (Koba Films); Benelux (Just4Kids); Portugal (Outsider); Russia (Kinoland); South Korea (Challan); the Middle East (Prime Pictures); Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania (Estin Film); Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, The Former Yugoslav Republic Of Macedonia, Kosovo and Montenegro (Radar).

Checkered Ninja is based on a book by Danish comedian Anders Matthesen, who also directed the film alongside Thorbjørn Christoffersen.

Nordisk released the film in Denmark on Christmas Day and it has broken local box-office records including the best first-week...

Last year, Danish, Icelandic and Norwegian films triumphed with local audiences, fueling general attendance. In Sweden, local fare also upped their share of an overall sluggish market, while Finland had a quieter year after a record 2017. Everywhere “Mamma Mia-Here We Go Again” was number one except in Denmark where local films were back in favor.

Denmark

After two years of slide, Danish films were back in favour with local crowds, and boosted general admissions to 13 million (up 4.6%) and box office to Dkk 1.1 billion ($173 million). With 3.8 million admissions (up 34.2% from 2017), representing Dkk 290.9 million ($44.5 million) in revenue, local titles claimed a 29% market share, the success target just set in new Danish Film Agreement for 2019-2023.

“In a country like Denmark with a relatively small feature film production [21 films in 2018], the box office will inevitably vary from one year to the next,” commented Claus Ladegaard, CEO at the Danish Film Institute. The latter welcomed the...