We’re witnessing the last laps of the Scandinavian crime wave, that border-crossing multimedia movement that washed so much frosty-to-glacial genre fiction onto our shores and screens. The detective heroes of TV imports “Wallander” and “The Bridge” walked into the low winter sunset, while the “Girl With Dragon Tattoo” cycle has stalled to a point where reboots have been decreed necessary. Adapting “The Snowman,” one of Norwegian scribe Jo Nesbø’s bestselling Harry Hole mysteries, isn’t the studios’ worst idea of 2017. Yet it does feel like a tardy one, and despite the industry heft thrown at Tomas Alfredson’s film, its execution leaves much to be desired.

Beyond these stellar opening credits, there stretch two hours of icy, mostly lifeless waste. Nesbø’s seventh Hole book provides the basis for this first movie, hence a certain front-loading of defective-detective tics. Michael Fassbender’s Harry is discovered blotto in an Oslo bus shelter,...

To celebrate the release of The Chamber, which will be screening at this year’s Glasgow Film Festival, Sunday 19th February 8.40pm (this will be followed by a Q&A with writer/director Ben Parker), and Monday 20th February at 1.15pm, we have a poster of the film and a DVD bundle containing In Fear, Kill List, The Wave, and The Assassin, courtesy of StudioCanal.

The Chamber is a claustrophobic survival thriller set beneath the Yellow Sea where the pilot of a small submersible craft and a three-man Special Ops team become trapped underwater in a fight for survival. Features gripping performances from Johannes Kuhnke (Force Majeure) and Charlotte Salt (The Musketeers), playing the pilot and leader of the crew who find themselves not only fighting for survival, but against each other as the air supply runs out. Plus, a haunting, atmospheric score by James Dean Bradfield of the Manic Street Preachers...

Period drama is currently airing in the UK and Us.

Taboo, the eight-part TV drama series currently playing on BBC One in the UK and FX in the Us, has sold to multiple international territories.

The deals include: HBO for Spain, Nordic territories and Eastern Europe; AMC for Portugal; TV1000/Viasat for Russia and Cis region; Cosmote in Greece; Digiturk in Turkey; and Fox Network Group Latin America for the Americas and the Caribbean.

Set in 1814, Hardy stars in the series as a man who, believed long dead, returns home from Africa to London to inherit the remnants of his father’s shipping empire.

Taboo was created by Tom Hardy and Dean Baker for their outfit Hard, Son & Baker, along with Steve Knight and Timothy Bricknell.

Four episodes were directed by Kristoffer Nyholm (The Killing) and the remaining four were directed by Anders Engström (Wallander). Ridley Scott and Kate Crowe were executive producers for Scott Free London...

Period drama is currently airing in the UK and Us.

Taboo, the eight-part TV drama series currently playing on BBC One in the UK and FX in the Us, has sold to multiple international territories.

The deals include: HBO for Spain, Nordic territories and Eastern Europe; AMC for Portugal; TV1000/Viasat for Russia and Cis region; Cosmote in Greece; Digiturk in Turkey; and Fox Network Group Latin America for the Americas and the Caribbean.

Set in 1814, Hardy stars in the series as a man who, believed long dead, returns home from Africa to London to inherit the remnants of his father’s shipping empire.

Taboo was created by Tom Hardy and Dean Baker for their outfit Hard, Son & Baker, along with Steve Knight and Timothy Bricknell.

Four episodes were directed by Kristoffer Nyholm (The Killing) and the remaining four were directed by Anders Engström (Wallander). Ridley Scott and Kate Crowe were executive producers for Scott Free London...

We’ve got our first look at Janus Metz Pedersen’s new film Borg/McEnroe, which places its focus on the thrilling rivalry between John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg which culminated in the 1980 Wimbledon’s Men Singles Final. Shia Labeouf looks the part as McEnroe, with Wallander actor Sverrir Gudnason as Borg. Stellan Skarsgård appears in the film […]

The post First image of Shia Labeouf and Sverrir Gudnason as John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg from Borg/McEnroe appeared first on HeyUGuys.

Humans‘ Ruth Bradley and Crossbones‘ Richard Coyle have signed on to take The Fall.

The pair will join the British thriller for its third and final season, our sister site Deadline reports.

Bradley played Karen Voss/Beatrice in the sci-fi series; Coyle’s TV resumé also includes Covert Affairs and A.D. The Bible Continues.

Krister Henriksson (Wallander), Aidan McArdle (Mr. Selfridge) and Aisling Bea (Sky 1’s Trollied) also will be part of the new season’s cast.

Season 3 of the BBC Two drama, which is available in the United States via Netflix, will resolve Season 2’s cliffhanger finale and will continue to follow Det.

Swedish crime writer Henning Mankell has died at the age of 67.

The author was best known for his series of novels featuring Inspector Kurt Wallander.

"Henning Mankell is dead. He died in his sleep early this morning in Göteborg. He was 67 years old," read a post on Mankell's official website.

"Henning Mankell was one of the great Swedish authors of our time, loved by readers in Sweden and all over the world. His work includes around forty novels and numerous plays.

"His books have sold more than forty million copies and are translated into more than forty languages. Solidarity with those in need run through his entire work and manifested itself in action until the very end."

Mankell is survived by his wife Eva Bergman and his son Jon Mankell.

The Wallander books were adapted into a TV drama starring Krister Henriksson in the title role.

A later English version,...

Even without knowing what the movie's about, the first trailer for Origin (Bieffekterna) looks and sounds rather great. As an electronic beat burbles and babbles, a scientist begins by asking, "What does it mean to be human?" It turns out that experiments are being conducted to use elements of the influenza virus to slow down the aging process. That kernel of an idea propels the teaser, which is filled with arresting images that suggest there is much more of the story to tell. Here's some official verbiage: The film is directed by André Hedetoft and Andreas Climent, best known for their popular short films like Double Trouble and Logan and commercials for Alfa Romeo, Comviq and Cadbury. It stars Emelia Hansson (Wallander), Rikard Björk (Johan Falk), Rafael Pettersson...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Nicolo Donato (Brotherhood) is prepping a feature about the escape of Danish Jews from Nazi-occupied Denmark in October 1943. Scandinavian major Svensk is on board to produce through its Danish subsidiary Sf Film and production entity Sf Film production. Fuglene Over Sundet is based on actual events and features a cast including Danica Curcic (Wallander), David Dencik (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) and Laura Bro (A Royal Affair). Jacob Cedergren, Nicolas Bro, Signe Egholm…...

2015 promises to deliver a wide variety of new and original programming - from a revamped version of a children's classic to new British fantasy and ambitious international thrillers.

But it would be remiss of us not to tip our hats to the huge roster of fan favourites heading back to our screens - these are Digital Spy's picks for the 15 best shows returning in 2015.

1. Broadchurch - ITV

It's been an agonising wait, but Chris Chibnall's BAFTA-winning thriller will return to our screens on January 5, with David Tennant and Olivia Coleman returning to front the cast as detectives Alec Hardy and Ellie Miller.

Marianne Jean-Baptiste, James D'Arcy, Charlotte Rampling and Torchwood's Eve Myles are among the new cast additions for series two, which promises to reveal why Alec is still in Broadchurch and what's next for Ellie (Coleman) after she uncovered her husband's dark side.

2. The Walking Dead...

Based on the bestselling books by Swedish crime writer Henning Mankell, detective Kurt Wallander is an intense and headstrong maverick, prone to eating poorly, sleeping irregularly and drinking too much. The final six Wallander films, released collectively on DVD this Monday (23 June), are currently airing on BBC Four, whose Saturday evening slot has been become synonymous with top-quality subtitled television. To celebrate the release of Wallander: Collected Films 27-32, we have Three DVD to give away to our loyal readers courtesy of Nordic Noir Arrow Films. This is an exclusive competition for our Facebook and Twitter fans, so if you haven't already, 'Like' us at facebook.com/CineVueUK or follow us @CineVue before answering the question below.

A Question of Sport: Super Saturday: BBC One, 6.50pm

Jason Manford hosts the spinoff to BBC's long-running sports quiz show, with Super Saturday bringing an added emphasis on physical challenges.

Matt Dawson and Phil Tufnell return as team captains - at one point, riding on the fastest zipwire in Europe - and are joined by dance specialists Ola Jordan and Louie Spence and comedians Shappi Khorsandi and Chris Ramsey.

Big Brother: Channel 5, 9pm

The housemates react to the latest eviction in the latest highlights instalment.

Marcus Bentley narrates the goings-on of the last 24 hours, with Toya the new Power Housemate.

Wallander: BBC Four, 9pm

The latest series comes to an end tonight, as the Ystad team attempt to locate and rescue a kidnapped restaurant owner.

During the investigation, Kurt (Krister Henriksson) is introduced to Jenny Blom, a Malmo policewoman who has been looking into the victim following the death of her partner.

Ten films get €2m ($2.7m), including projects from Wolfgang Becker, Kathrine Windfeld.

Amounts per project vary between € 50,000 ($68,760) and € 400,000 ($550,080).

Among the projects are films from Wolfgang Becker, writer-director of Good Bye Lenin, and Kathrine Windfeld, director of Hamilton: In the Interests of a Nation and TV series including The Bridge, The Killing and Wallander.

Becker’s drama Me and Kamiski, starring Daniel Bruhl, Denis Lavant, Jesper Christensen, Karlo Marcovics, Geraldine Chaplin and Amira Casar, is currently in post-production.

Lars Mikkelsen stars alongside Flemish actors Veerle Baetens, Koen De Bouw, Filip Peeters and Hilde Van Mieghem in Windfeld’s new European police series The Team.

The 10 projects to receive Screen Flanders support are:

• Another Day of Life

Dir: Raul de la Fuente & Damian Nenow; Main prod: Platige Images (Pl); Belgian co-prod: Walking The Dog; documentary

• Archibelge!

Dir: Sofie Benoot & Gilles Coton; Main/Belgian prod: Off World; documentary

• Deadline 25/5

Dir: Maarten Moerkerke; Main/Belgian prod: Menuet; fiction

• Dimitri

Dir: Agnès...

Exclusive: Keanu Reeves has been approached to star in Antti J. Jokinen’s thriller The Criminal about organised crime in Finland and Russia.

Pitching the project at the first edition of the Northern Seas Film Forum (Nsff) in St Petersburg at the weekend, producer Markus Selin of Solar Films Inc. Oy and director Jokinen said that they are speaking to the Matrix star about headlining the crime thriller which is set to shoot next year.

The Criminal is based on interviews conducted with Russian and Finnish felons over the past four years and has the Organised Crime Unit of the Finnish Police now serving as an advisor on the screenplay.

Selin revealed that Ireland’s Subotica Films is already onboard as a co-producer and he is now looking for a Russian company to join the production.

The $16m (€12m) production would shoot in Helsinki, Dublin and St Petersburg in Russian and Finnish with the English actors speaking...

From Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy to The Killing, everyone loves Nordic noir, right? Well, trust John Patterson to be the odd man out

Count yourselves lucky, British and European viewers, you're getting your full undiluted ration of subtitled Nordic noir, week in and week out, while we here in the Us must subsist on the thin gruel of remakes, with no real recourse to the originals. You got the original Danish The Killing, we got the drippy AMC remake whose first-season finale prompted a near-mutiny among outraged and cheated viewers. The Danish-Swedish cross-border procedural The Bridge – as mesmerising as Homeland to European viewers – gets a Tex-Mex workover here set on the Juárez-El Paso line, and judging by the grimness of its teaser promos, will not stint on those authentically Mexican sky-high bodycounts. We get the Branagh Wallander, not the Krister Henriksson original. Most notorious of all, perhaps, was the...

Zodiak Rights, the international division of Zodiak Media, has taken Echoes from the Dead to the currently running European Film Market, and we have a look at the film's sales art along with some early details on it.

Based on the bestselling book series by Swedish author Johan Theorin, Echoes from the Dead is a mystery drama directed by Daniel Alfredson (Millennium 2 and 3: The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest). Shot in Cuba and on the fascinating island of Öland in Sweden, the film stars renowned Swedish actress Lena Endre (The Master, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Faithless, Wallander), one of Ingmar Bergman’s favorites. It's produced by the Swedish film and television production company Yellow Bird.

Echoes from the Dead is in post-production with delivery scheduled for autumn 2013.

Synopsis:

On a foggy day Julia's six-year-old son, Jens, goes missing.

Arrow Films' Nordic Noir DVD label is releasing rare Scandinavian screen classics with English subtitles. Unit One is a hard-hitting cop series, starring Mads Mikkelson (Casino Royale, The Hunt) include cast members from The Killing, Wallander, and Borgen.Broadcast between 2000 and 2004, before the actors became internationally famous. Based on actual, real-life crimes that have occurred across the last two decades, the International Emmy award-winning Unit One follows an elite mobile police force as they assist local authorities in solving some of the most complex and high profile cases Denmark has ever seen. Charlotte Fich plays new boss Ingrid Dahl in one of the most fast-paced of the Scandinavian crime exports. It concentrates on the working and private lives of...

"Tell me who you are!" There is a worth watching short film going around the web called Logan, that is indeed inspired by a certain comic book character of the same name. It's made by two Swedish filmmakers named André Hedetoft and Andreas Climent, a regular reader of Fs who has been emailing about it as well. The short is out in full via Vimeo and stars Tobias Nilsson as "Logan", plus Kola Krauze ("Wallander") and Deepak Tara. This is described simply as "a dark Scandinavian spin on the origin of Wolverine." Obviously it gets a bit bloody, but beyond that it's just a well-made short film. And it's all in English. Enjoy! Logan is short action thriller with comic book inspiration directed by Andreas Climent and André Hedetoft. Embedded in high def from Vimeo. The music is by S. Peace Nistades ("Dragon Age: Redemption"). As explained in the summary,...

We’re all very familiar with the character Wolverine (played so brilliantly in the X-Men movies by Hugh Jackman) but we’ve never really seen what happened to him when he was younger. Two Swedish film makers have decided it’s about time we saw a little from his past and have created a 5 minute short film they’ve called ‘Logan’.

Title: LoganDirectors: Andreas Climent and André Hedetoft.Cast: Kola Krauze (“Wallander”, “Solsidan”), Tobias Nilsson and Deepak Tara.Visual effects by Martin Kupski (“Hellboy 2″, “Ninja Assassin”).Music composed by S. Peace Nistades (“Dark Woods”, “Dragon Age: Redemption”).More Info: LoganShort.com

A lone man locked inside a dark room is violently interrogated about his identity. When his captors finally find out who he is, they realize that he isn’t locked in with them, they are the ones locked in with him…

Please note, this short film contains violence and is Nsfw.

Swedish directors Andreas Climent and André Hedetoft were apparently sitting around the house one day and wondered: “Hey, what would happen if some dude caught Wolverine back when he was still a young teen name Logan and beat the crap out of him?” Well, as it turns out, bad things happen. To, er, the dude. Check out a new fanmade short film that wonders how a young Logan would deal with a brutal interrogation from Climent and Hedetoft, simply titled “Logan”. Like most fanmade short films, the payoff is at the end. Starring Kola Krauze (“Wallander”, “Solsidan”), Tobias Nilsson and Deepak Tara. Visual effects by Martin Kupski (“Hellboy 2″, “Ninja Assassin”). Music composed by S. Peace Nistades (“Dark Woods”, “Dragon Age: Redemption”). Check out the “Logan” Official Site. Or visit them on Facebook. Logan from Andreas Climent on Vimeo...

Swedish director Kjell Sundvall returns to the big screen this December with False Trail (Jägarna 2), the follow-up to his 1996 crime-thriller, The Hunters (Jägarna).

Rolf Lassgård reprises his leading role from the original, alongside the great Peter Stormare, and with the film arriving on our shores next month, we’ve been given an exclusive set of images to share.

“Brought to you by the distributors of The Killing, Borgen and The Bridge, False Trail is the latest Nordic Noir thriller to hit the big screen in the UK. Set in an isolated town in the frozen wastelands of northern Sweden, False Trail is dark, twisted murder investigation that devastates a local community.

It’s been fifteen years since Erik (LASSGÅRD) was forced to leave the Norrland Police Department. Since then he has become the National Murder Commission’s best interrogator. When Erik’s boss orders him back to his home...

Guest column by Alice Maltin I’ve been lost in the world of Henning Mankell’s Wallander because I’m viewing the British adaptation on TV while simultaneously following the Swedish series on DVD. This is causing some confusion for me. Is that woman the killer or is it the handyman? Was it the British or Swedish one where I saw that? It’s embarrassing, I admit. For the uninitiated, Kurt Wallander is a detective in a city outside of Stockholm and is played by Kenneth Branagh and Krister Henriksson. Both actors are wonderful in the role. Kurt is dedicated to police work and everything else in life is secondary, including personal relationships. He is the...

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Photo credit: David Lee (c) 2012 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions announced today that principal photography has begun on Jack Ryan, from Academy Award®-nominated director Kenneth Branagh, starring Chris Pine, Academy Award®-nominated Keira Knightley and Academy Award®-nominated Kevin Costner. Branagh has helmed films such as Thor, Frankenstein and Dead Again. He’s become a very astute director and I have no doubt he’ll do another fine job with this contemporary action thriller. I really am impressed that Branagh, in addition to directing the film, will take on the role of Russian oligarch Viktor Cherevin. Check out the movies I mentioned if you’ve never seen Branagh the actor. Presently he’s on PBS as “Kurt Wallander” in the Wallander series Sunday nights on PBS.

Based on the Jack Ryan character created by bestselling author Tom Clancy, Jack Ryan is set in the present day.

On TV this Sunday: Weeds brings its eight-season run to a close, Nate’s team tries to get Leverage in a pair of season-ending cases, Boardwalk Empire brews up a swill-filled new drama and ABC offers a consolidated lesson in Revenge. Here are nine programs to keep on your radar tonight.

8 pm Good Luck Charlie (Disney Channel) | Somebody’s gotta babysit Toby and Charlie, but who will it be? In related news: Uh, has anyone seen Charlie…?

8 pm Revenge (ABC) | If you missed out on Season 1′s soapy goodness, here’s a crash course to catch you up. Get out...

Kenneth Brannagh Wallander PBS Masterpiece

Kieran Kinsella

Some men are born unhappy. Others achieve a level of unhappiness. Some men have unhappiness thrust upon them. To be honest, I always had Kurt Wallander pegged as someone who was miserable from birth. You know the type, one of those guys with an “End is Nigh” sandwich-board resting on his chest or one of those hecklers from the Muppets – only without the humor. Tonight’s episode made me reevaluate Wallander. Could it be that he is just incredibly unlucky?

An Event in Autumn began with Wallander’s facial muscles producing something that could almost pass for a smile. He had found new love with Vanja Andersson (Saskia Reeves) and the happy couple were just settling into a nice new home. What could possibly go wrong? Well it turned out that his neighbor was a psycho who had buried a dead girl in Kurt’s yard.

Although Summer is almost over, it doesn’t mean you won’t have anything to look forward to come fall. September not only brings us the beginning of the new TV season, but an onslaught of Oscar contenders in theaters — including The Master, starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix. What other pop culture delights can you indulge in this week? See below to find out.

Sunday, Sept. 9

Wallander, PBS, 9 p.m.

Kenneth Branagh stars as the troubled Swedish detective Kurt Wallander. In Wallander: An Event in Autumn, the titular cop moves into a house with his girlfriend, but...

Chicago – The great Kenneth Branagh delivers yet again with a new series of “Wallander” films on PBS under the banner of “Masterpiece: Mystery!,” starting tomorrow night, September 9, 2012. These are accomplished, adult tales of loss, guilt, and mystery that should satisfy viewers hooked by the first two “Wallander” runs previously aired on PBS.

Television Rating: 4.0/5.0

There are moments in the premiere that are a bit too lethargic and slowly-paced for their own good but every time that “Wallander” starts to lose its way, the strong dialogue writing and fantastic work by Branagh bring it back from the brink of tedium. This is high quality mystery entertainment unconcerned with flashy visuals or quick editing. It’s about the human cost of crime.

Wallander

Photo credit: PBS

The three films that will air three Sundays at 8pm Cst are “An Event in Autumn,” “The Dogs of Riga,” and “Before the Frost.” In all three,...

Last week saw the release of Mark Wahlberg-starrer Contraband to our shelves, and this week brings with it a rather different line-up, with the lovely Marilyn Monroe getting the HD treatment, alongside Robert Pattinson amongst highly impressive company in Bel Ami, and the anticipated Shanghai, with John Cusack leading a fantastic cast.

With that in mind,

My picks of the week:

Mikael Håfström’s Shanghai.

And the Blu-ray release of Marilyn Monroe’s Forever Marilyn.

Shanghai Iframe Embed for Youtube

DVD and Blu-ray

Mikael Håfström’s Shanghai was released back in the summer of 2010 across parts of Asia, and has had various releases across the world since then, but the two markets it hasn’t yet been released in are the UK and the Us.

John Cusack, Gong Li, Chow Yun-Fat, Ken Watanabe, David Morse, Franka Potente, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan star in one of the most promising casts of recent years,...

Poor Kurt Wallander. Last time we saw him, the lugubrious Swede was desperate for a quiet life, wanting nothing more than to leave his work life in the office, and spend the evening with a warm glass of red and on-off now firmly on girlfriend Vanja (Saskia Reeves) by his side.

Wallander's back - apparently, he's a cheerful person "on the inside"

Best laid plans and all that… no sooner had the packing boxes been parked in the new rustic idyll than the plonkety-plonk ring tone on his phone was sounding, and a young woman had been washed up on a beach. And if he thought he could sneak home to a roaring fire and that inviting glass of red, even his own dog had other ideas, digging up bones in his brand new back garden.

“Thought you were trying not to take your work home with you,” said his colleague.

The newly knighted Kenneth Branagh returns as grizzled and brooding Swedish detective Kurt Wallander to UK screens soon (best guess is July) for a third series of "Wallander" based on two of the novels and one of the short stories by Henning Mankell.

Speaking about the three telemovies with The Guardian, the main arc for this series will be Wallander's relationship with his adult daughter after the death of his father (David Warner).

Branagh says he hopes to turn the remaining two key novels - 'The White Lioness' and 'The Troubled Man' - into the basis for a fourth and final series.

"We've been talking of doing The Troubled Man [Mankell's recent and final Wallander mystery] in two parts, maybe with The White Lioness as well. That might provide a strong arc over what would probably be the final three English Wallanders. That would be my instinct" says Branagh.

"The Avengers" star Tom Hiddleston...

★★★★☆ On the small screen, keen interest in all things Nordic has exploded since the success of Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy, with Danish television series The Killing and Danish/Swedish co-production The Bridge being two stand-out examples. If the Larsson effect kick-started this mass public appreciation, then it's fellow Swede Henning Mankell who should be credited for laying the groundwork in the 90s with the abrasive. emotionally troubled maverick detective Kurt Wallander.

Read more »...

Kenneth Branagh used to find playing Wallander so grim, he went to flower shows to cheer himself up. Vicky Frost joins the newly knighted actor in Sweden to talk about the latest series – and his plans to write a drama about his Belfast childhood during the Troubles

You don't often see Kurt Wallander smiling. Frowning, yes; considering something deeply, yes; worrying away at a problem, yes – but not smiling, let alone grinning. Yet, as I watch the Swedish detective climb out of his Volvo and carry in his shopping, he is looking positively contented. Kenneth Branagh, playing the Swede, is delighted I have arrived on set in time to witness such a moment. "It's very rare!" he says after the scene has been shot. "I had to write the smile on my script so I would remember it."

The low farmhouse behind us is still being warmed by the lazy Swedish sun.

The Weinstein Company announced today that it is partnering with Academy Award® winning filmmaker Martin Scorsese to present Daniel Espinosa‘s acclaimed Swedish crime thriller, Easy Money in New York on July 11, 2012 and Los Angeles, on July 13, 2012. Based on the international best-selling novel Snabba Cash by Jens Lapidus, Easy Money is a taut and alluring suspense thriller set in the world of organized crime starring Joel Kinnaman (AMC’s “The Killing”), Matias Varela (Storm), Dragomir Mrsic (Wallander), Dejan Cukic (The Trap), and Fares Fares (Safe House). The announcement was made today by TWC Co-Chairman Harvey Weinstein.

Easy Money (the English translation of “Snabba Cash”) interweaves the stories of three key players related to a Swedish drug trafficking ring. Lower-class business student Jw (Joel Kinnaman from AMC’s ‘The Killing’) falls in love with a sexy heiress while living a double life mingling with Stockholm’s wealthy elite. To keep up the facade of his lifestyle,...

New York, NY – June 14, 2012 – The Weinstein Company (TWC) announced today that it is partnering with Academy Award® winning filmmaker Martin Scorsese to present Daniel Espinosa’s acclaimed Swedish crime thriller, Easy Money in New York on July 11, 2012 and Los Angeles, on July 13, 2012. Based on the international best-selling novel Snabba Cash by Jens Lapidus, Easy Money is a taut and alluring suspense thriller set in the world of organized crime starring Joel Kinnaman (AMC’s “The Killing”), Matias Varela (Storm), Dragomir Mrsic (Wallander), Dejan Čukić (The Trap), and Fares Fares (Safe House). The announcement was made today by TWC Co-Chairman Harvey Weinstein. Easy Money (the English translation of “Snabba Cash”) interweaves the stories of three key players related to a Swedish drug trafficking ring. Lower-class business student Jw (Joel Kinnaman from AMC’s ‘The Killing’) falls in love with a sexy heiress while living a double life mingling with Stockholm’s wealthy elite.

The Weinstein Company announced today that it is partnering with Academy Award-winning filmmaker Martin Scorsese to present Daniel Espinosa's acclaimed Swedish crime thriller Easy Money in New York on July 11, 2012 and in Los Angeles on July 13, 2012. Based on the international best-selling novel Snabba Cash by Jens Lapidus, Easy Money is a taut and alluring suspense thriller set in the world of organized crime starring Joel Kinnaman (AMC's "The Killing"), Matias Varela ( Storm ), Dragomir Mrsic ( Wallander ), Dejan Cukic ( The Trap ), and Fares Fares ( Safe House ). The announcement was made today by TWC Co-Chairman Harvey Weinstein. Easy Money (the English translation of "Snabba Cash") interweaves the stories of three key players related to a...

Chief inspector Kurt Wallander (Krister Henriksson) has just turned 62, and would be quite content to spend the rest of his days on the deck of his new home in the seaside town of Ystad, Sweden listening to the water lap up on the shore, with this faithful dog Jussi by his side. At an age when retirement seems like it's just around the corner, Wallander is cut from the cloth of cops whose job isn't just a calling but a reflex, as natural as breathing. And working in the police department of a town of about 20,000 it doesn't seems like the kind of place where too much will change before he inevitably has to hang up his badge. He couldn't be more wrong.

"Wallander: The Revenge" begins with a literal bang, as a carefully planned and timed explosion at the power station in Ystad plunges the town into darkness,...

Pulp Drivel: Brandstrom’s TV Series a Swedish Snooze

There’s something stupendously affirming about Charlotte Brandstrom’s Wallander: The Revenge, a 90 minute episode of a Swedish made-for-television (in 2009!) series, followed by 13 more such episodes, and now getting a theatrical release Stateside presumably because of that successful trilogy about that girl and the tattoo we’re all tired of hearing about. Basically, it’s nice to see that American television isn’t the only international small screen to be flogged and flooded with yawn-athon whodunit mystery thrillers that only manage to question why one need stay through the end credits.

Based on the works of Henning Mankel, one of Scandinavia’s most popular mystery writers, we’re introduced to the aged Kurt Wallander (Krister Henriksson) at a birthday celebration at his newly bought seaside home in Ystad. The wizened policeman’s cheeky friends have purchased the new homeowner a tool set,...

As if The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Millennium Trilogy, The Killing and The Headhunters weren't enough to satisfy the recent Scandinavian films/literature craze overseas, the superb, original Swedish TV series Wallander (not to be confused with the equally popular Kenneth Branagh's BAFTA winning adaptation on BBC) finally makes a landfall in the Us, in a standalone, 90-minute film version, titled Henning Mankell's Wallander: The Revenge in theaters. As a shrewd marketing ploy, Music Box Films is releasing the entire first and second season (13 espisodes) on VOD itunes, Amazon and Vudu earlier and DVD on May 29th. The Revenge is the season 2 premiere episode.Before Stieg Larsson's Lisbeth Salander, there was Henning Mankell's Kurt Wallander. Based on an original story from immensely...

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Chicago – Why can’t American studios make thrillers like “Wallander: The Revenge”? As a matter of fact, why can’t we make ones like the recent production of “Sherlock” or even “Luther”? Perhaps it’s something about producing for TV that gives people more creative depth but the best thrillers so far this year have been the three episodes of “Sherlock” and this week’s release of “Wallander: The Revenge,” opening at Music Box today and available next week in a massive DVD box set.

“Wallander: The Revenge” is actually the season premiere of the second series of TV episodes that aired on Swedish television in 2009. While you may be tempted to avoid something produced for TV, “The Revenge” has theatrical caliber production values and performances. If you didn’t know, you’d never guess that it wasn’t made with a theatrical release in mind from the very beginning.

Check out trailer for Wallander, from the producers of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Based on original stories from immensely popular Swedish crime writer Henning Mankell, Wallander follows the titular chief inspector Kurt Wallander (Krister Henriksson) as he investigates crimes and solves mysteries in the deceptively dark underbelly of picturesque modern Sweden. The Revenge begins with Kurt Wallander having achieved his life’s dream– buying a house by the sea. Suddenly, a heavy explosion ruptures the peace and quiet in Ystad when the town’s single transformer station is blown up, and more explosive deeds follow. The military is called and the little town starts to look like a war zone. Are the explosions acts of sabotage or terrorism? Everything is chaos and Wallander fumbles in darkness as he tries to chase down the culprits. The first 90 minute Wallander episode The Revenge will be in select theaters on May 25th from Music Box Films.

Check out trailer for Wallander, from the producers of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Based on original stories from immensely popular Swedish crime writer Henning Mankell, Wallander follows the titular chief inspector Kurt Wallander (Krister Henriksson) as he investigates crimes and solves mysteries in the deceptively dark underbelly of picturesque modern Sweden. The Revenge begins with Kurt Wallander having achieved his life’s dream– buying a house by the sea. Suddenly, a heavy explosion ruptures the peace and quiet in Ystad when the town’s single transformer station is blown up, and more explosive deeds follow. The military is called and the little town starts to look like a war zone. Are the explosions acts of sabotage or terrorism? Everything is chaos and Wallander fumbles in darkness as he tries to chase down the culprits. The first 90 minute Wallander episode The Revenge will be in select theaters on May 25th from Music Box Films.

Prolific actor/director Kenneth Branagh is currently in negotiations with Paramount to direct a upcoming fifth Jack Ryan film. Chris Pine is already set to play the classic Tom Clancy character previously portrayed by Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck. Branagh directed last year's smash hit Thor and starred in the award-winning My Week with Marilyn, earning a best supporting actor Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Sir Laurence Olivier. Aside from his Kurt Wallander role in the BBC crime thriller Wallander, Branagh has no upcoming projects on the horizon. Helming a Jack Ryan film might be an interesting fit for Branagh, who has pretty much stuck to period films with an occasional modern drama/thriller thrown in here and there. Previous franchise directors...

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Kenneth Branagh seems to be a fan of author Henning Mankell. First he ,adapted the author’s series of novels about policeman Kurt Wallander into a series called Wallander for the BBC, and now there’s news that he’s going to direct a feature film adapted from another Mankell book, “The Italian Shoes.” You may be wondering what The Italian Shoes is about, and I’m glad you asked, because I didn’t know either. A quick trip over to the novel’s Amazon page reveals a hunk of text that describes it like this: “Living on a tiny island entirely surrounded by ice during the long winter months, Fredrik Welin is so lost to the world that he cuts a hole in the ice every morning and lowers himself into the freezing water to remind himself that he is alive. Haunted by memories of the terrible mistake that drove him to this island and away...

The previously rumored Helen McCrory is now confirmed to have joined "Skyfall", the twenty-third James Bond movie which is currently shooting in London.

McCrory ("The Queen," "Harry Potter") was floated as a cast member a few weeks ago but her name didn't appear on the official start-of-production press release last week. Now, the official Bond Twitter account confirmed her casting and once again wouldn't elaborate on what role.

The account also threw a completely new name into the mix - Ola Rapace ("Beyond," "Wallander"), the ex-husband of "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and "Sherlock Holmes" actress Noomi Rapace. Like McCrory, we've no details on his role for now.

Actor Ralph Fiennes also briefly spoke about the film with IFC saying that this film is going to be a big ones for long-term fans of the series - "They're doing something quite special I think. I think they're going to be great for Bond…...

Branagh is heading back behind the lens. Variety reports that a Swedish production company called Yellow Bird (filmography), also partnered with Left Bank Pictures, is developing an adaptation of Swedish author Henning Mankell's novel Italian Shoes. Now set to direct is Kenneth Branagh, taking him back to his more dramatic roots following working on Thor. There's some extra buzz behind this, because Yellow Bird is the company the last adapted The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in Sweden first, and this is another high profile project for them. Branagh also worked on Henning Mankell's Wallander series for the BBC before. Henning Mankell's book Italian Shoes, first published in 2009, follows the tale of a lonely, elderly former surgeon named Fredrik Welin reunited with an old flame he had abandoned many years ago. Dying of cancer, she asks him to fulfill a promise he made nearly 40 years ago to take...

Kenneth Branagh elected not to pursue the director's gig on Marvel Studios' Thor sequel, and now we know the film he'll make instead. The director will helm Italian Shoes, based on Henning Mankell's meditative novel of the same name. Producing will be the Swedish company Yellow Bird. You might not know that name, but you'll probably recognize the company's logo, as it is tacked on the front of the original The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, as well as on the other two Millennium Trilogy novel adaptations that follow it and the film Headhunters, which played Fantastic Fest and is already set up to be remade. Variety [1] reports that Branagh has the job. It positions the film as a thriller, but while Mankell is a very well-known crime author -- he has sold millions of books featuring a character named Inspector Wallander -- this is a different sort of story.

Kenneth Branagh's returned to his native Belfast for a play that proves he can do slapstick and Shakespeare

The first thing Kenneth Branagh did when he returned to his home town of Belfast a fortnight ago was to visit his old house. It was a red-brick terrace on Mount Collier Road in a Protestant area of north Belfast, where Branagh had lived with his parents and his older brother, Bill, until he was nine years old and the family left for a new life in England.

Now, 41 years later, Branagh can still remember the streets of his childhood, the way he used to walk to school and the fact that everyone knew his name. "When you were being called in for your tea, if you couldn't see your mother, the yell from the doorstep would come to you jungle-drums fashion," he says. "Someone two streets away would tell you...

From directing "Thor," to starring, adapting and helming various Shakespeare works to playing troubled cop Kurt Wallander, Kenneth Branagh has pretty much done it all, but surely even he must have been slightly intimidated stepping into the shoes of the legendary Laurence Olivier in the upcoming "My Week With Marilyn." Empire has the first look at the actor playing the iconic thesp and he's certainly nailed down the imposing gravitas Olivier carried with him. As for the film, it’s based on an assistant’s diary kept during the production of “The Prince and the Showgirl,” and follows Marilyn Monroe’s (Michelle Williams)…...

Caterina Murino in Zen.

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Kieran Kinsella

Zen “Cabal.” the second of the three part series being aired as part of PBS Masterpiece Mystery’s summer line-up, was the kind of cleverly written tale on twists and turns that even Agatha Christie would have been proud of. The accent issue that proved to be a major distraction during episode one, was less of an issue in this episode since everyone had English accents except for Zen’s mom and of course his love interest (Caterina Murino).

The plot revolved around an apparent suicide that seemed to be a murder but turned out just to be suicide after all but along the way Zen had to contend with corrupt politicians, a corrupt cardinal, a high class prostitute, gangsters and a bitter ex-wife. It was all very...

There's a flashy new interloper in the domain of Hercule Poirot and Endeavour Morse.

Italian detective Aurelio Zen makes his debut in the PBS "Masterpiece Mystery!" series "Zen" Sunday night, July 17. Played by English actor Rufus Sewell ("Middlemarch," "Pillars of the Earth"), Zen is not your average PBS crime-solver. He looks more like James Bond than Poirot -- darkly handsome in Italian-cut suits, easy on the eyes in a sensual, unself-conscious way. He fits into the beautiful Roman scenery as comfortably as a Michelangelo statue.

Not that we haven't seen our share of charming and attractive lawmen in the "Mystery!" franchise. Inspector Morse (the late John Thaw) was the mature thinking-woman's crush, with his literary bent and love of opera and crossword puzzles. In a similar vein was Commander Adam Dalgleish (Roy Marsden, Martin Shaw), a widower-poet with a lonely, cerebral intensity.

For those who liked their police officers exceedingly well-bred,...