EXCLUSIVE: Wallander, the latest series featuring the titular detective, has landed homes in the UK and North America.
The BBC has picked up UK rights to the Swedish crime drama, with MHz Choice becoming the buyer in the U.S. and Canada. Distributor Banijay Rights has also shopped the TV4 series to NPO in the Netherlands, VRT in Belgium, HRT in Croatia and LNK in Lithuania.
The show stars Vikings actor Gustaf Skarsgård as Kurt Wallander, who begins the series aged 42 as his life unravels. Newly separated after two decades of marriage and estranged from his daughter, he is pushed to the limits as he confronts high-stakes cases.
The show is part of MIA Market‘s GreenLit showcase in Rome this week, which will have drummed up interest. Its sales to the BBC and MHz Choice, in particular, are notable for the new-look Banijay Rights, which made its market debut this month at MIPCOM in Cannes.
Commissioned by TV4 in collaboration with Banijay Rights, ARD Degeto, Film i Skåne and Ystad Österlen Filmfond, the first season of this new Swedish-language adaptation comprises three 90-minute films. Antonia Pyk is the director, Molly Hartleb (Riding In Darkness) is the director along with the duo behind Aniara and Egghead Republic, Pella Kågerman and Hugo Lilja, and is produced by Glenn Lund.
Wallander is based on Henning Mankell’s bestselling novels based on the detective character. The novels have sold more than 40 million copies and been translated into more than 40 languages.
The original Wallander series and film adaptations ran between 1994 and 2014, and played on channels such as BBC Four in the UK. The new version will play in the UK on BBC Four and BBC iPlayer.
“Wallander is one of the defining crime franchises in international televsion, and BBC audiences have played an important part in its success over the years,” said Elliot Chalkey, SVP UK and Eire at Banijay Rights.
“This latest adaptation builds on the character’s remarkable story and brings a contemporary perspective to the world of Kurt Wallander. It is a fitting next step to bring this iconic drama to audiences around the world.”