Marc Forster (Finding Neverland, The Kite Runner, Christopher Robin, Monster’s Ball) and noted screenwriter David Magee (Finding Neverland, Life of Pi) have previously collaborated on the critically acclaimed and award-winning Finding Neverland for which Forster was nominated for a Best Director BAFTA and Magee was nominated for an Oscar® and BAFTA for Best Adapted Screenplay. The film was also nominated for an Oscar® and BAFTA for Best Film.

Marc Forster stated: "When I first read Fredrik Backman’s novel, I fell in love with the notion that friendship has the power to shape a person’s life. I can’t wait to create a film with so much humor and heart alongside Tom and Rita.”

Fredrik Wikström Nicastro of SF Studios is producing the film with Rita Wilson (Mamma Mia!, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2), and Playtone partners Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman. Tom Hanks (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Cast Away, Forrest Gump) will also star in the leading role. Principal photography will commence in 2022. Marc Forster will also serve as Executive Producer alongside Renée Wolfe via their production company 2DUX2.

Rita Wilson said: “Fredrik Backman wrote a novel that has entertained, moved and inspired countless readers through his character of “Ove”. The humanity of the story has resonated with people all over the world, including myself. I have always looked for films that bring people joy and, hopefully, create a common experience of recognizing ourselves in others. It’s an honor to be producing this movie and to be bringing it to audiences everywhere.”

Fredrik Wikström said: “Marc has made many films we love. His unique ability to tell human stories that strongly connect with audiences, makes him the perfect filmmaker to helm this beloved story. We couldn´t be more excited to have him and David Magee on board - bringing their magic to screens again, following their successful collaboration on Finding Neverland.”

The film is based on the Swedish international best-selling novel by Fredrik Backman, a life affirming comedy about love and unexpected friendships. It has sold more than 7 million copies worldwide and remained on the New York Times bestseller list for 77 consecutive weeks at the time of its release. The novel was subsequently adapted for the big screen by SF Studios and released in 2015. The Swedish language film was nominated for two Academy Awards® including Best Foreign Language Film and was the highest grossing foreign language film in the United States in 2016.

Michael Porseryd, CEO at SF Studios said: “Both the novel and the Swedish film adaptation of A Man Called Ove were huge successes due to the poignant and timeless story of love, loss, family and friendships. To now have the opportunity to create a US adaptation with this high calibre of cast, producers and the incredibly versatile and skilled Marc Forster at the helm is a dream! It is a fantastic milestone for SF Studios in our 102-year history as a film studio.”

The US adaptation of A Man Called Ove is one of many high-profile projects lined up by SF Studios, including the highly anticipated large-scale Swedish film adaption The Emigrants, the Danish epic drama Margrete - Queen of the North, the Norwegian feature film Quisling and the Swedish original series Snabba Cash for Netflix. Previous international releases include Borg vs. McEnroe starring Sverrir Gudnasson and Stellan Skarsgård and the thriller Horizon Line starring Allison Williams and Alexander Dreymon.

For more information, please contact:

SF Studios contacts:
Fredrik Wikström Nicastro, SVP International Production, Fredrik.WikstromNicastro@sfstudios.se, +46 70 413 63 83
Malin Strihagen, Vice President Brand & Communications, Malin.Strihagen@sfstudios.se, +46 70 780 39 35

About SF Studios
For more than 100 years, SF Studios has been a leading Nordic film and TV studio that has produced some of cinema’s most iconic films and worked with some of the greatest talents in the industry, such as Ingmar Bergman, Ingrid Bergman and Greta Garbo. Today, SF Studios has operations in all of the Nordic countries and an international production unit based in the UK focusing on English language films for the international market. SF Studios’ expertise lies in producing and co-producing films and TV content that appeal to broad audiences around the world.

SF Studios’ operations also include distribution of content through cinemas and home entertainment and the digital streaming service SF Anytime. Alongside its own production operations, SF Studios owns the production companies Paradox, FLX, Filmkameratene and Motion Blur, and is part of the leading Nordic media company Bonnier.

About Rita Wilson
Rita Wilson is an award-winning actor, musician, and producer. Her keen instincts have brought audiences around the world thoughtful, unique and resonant stories. The film projects she has produced have grossed over a billion dollars in the global box office.

She was the producer and driving force behind the sleeper hit My Big Fat Greek Wedding. The $5 million dollar low budget independent film ultimately grossed over $368.7 million worldwide and became one of the top romantic films of the 21st century. The blockbuster spawned the sequel, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 and the television series, My Big Fat Greek Life on CBS, both of which Rita also produced. Wilson also brought the beloved smash-hit movie musical franchise, Mamma Mia! ($602.9 million worldwide) and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again ($402.3 million worldwide) to the big screen. Additional producing credits include A Simple Wedding, My Life in Ruins, Connie And Carla, and Boy Genius.

About Marc Forster
Acclaimed filmmaker Marc Forster’s many feature film credits include box office hit World War Z starring Brad Pitt, the 22nd film in the James Bond franchise Quantum of Solace starring Daniel Craig, and Monster’s Ball which led to an Oscar® win for lead actress Halle Berry. He has been nominated for two BAFTA Awards, as director for Finding Neverland in 2005 followed by Best Film Not in the English Language for The Kite Runner. He most recently finished production on White Bird: A Wonder Story, starring Gillian Anderson and Helen Mirren.

About 2DUX2
Los Angeles-based 2DUX2 develops and produces feature films, TV and transmedia projects for broad and diverse audiences. The majority of their content is written and created by the duo of Renée Wolfe & Marc Forster.

Forster and Wolfe have worked together creatively for over 20 years and decided to form the company in 2012. They both serve as co-CEO’s of 2DUX2. Since the founding of the company, this creative team has been making films and television loved by fans including award-winning titles such as Hand of God, WWZ, Christopher Robin and All I See Is You.

Their current project, White Bird, in partnership with Lionsgate Studios and Mandeville Films, will be released in 2022. White Bird is based on the critically-acclaimed and widely-loved graphic novel of the same name by R. J. Palacio, author of Wonder.