SF Studios announces Norwegian World War II drama No. 24 from the producers behind Troll
Today SF Studios announced that it will distribute the Norwegian war drama No. 24 (original title: NR 24), about Norway’s greatest leader of the resistance movement during World War II, Gunnar Sønsteby. His code name during the war was No. 24. Rising star Sjur Vatne Brean will play the leading role as Gunnar Sønsteby. Nr. 24 will be directed by John Andreas Andersen and produced by Motion Blur, the production company behind the successful Norwegian Netflix film Troll. The film starts shooting today in Norway and will have its theatrical premiere in autumn 2024.
The film tells the story of Gunnar Sønsteby's important contribution to the resistance movement in Norway, but also his enormous commitment to peace work. Gunnar Sønsteby is Northern Europe's most decorated citizen of all time and is a representative of the resistance heroes from the World War II.
The feature film just started its principle shooting in Norway and the lead role is played by Sjur Vatne Brean. Brean has made a name for himself both on the film and theater stage in recent years, and is best known for his roles in the TV series Rådebank, the films Three Wishes for Cinderella and Viking Wolf and his performance in the National Theatre's critically acclaimed production of Døden på Oslo S. The role of Gunnar Sønsteby is his first leading role in a movie.
“When I got the opportunity to play this role, I couldn't say yes quickly enough. I take the challenge to play Sønsteby very seriously. Gunnar Sønsteby is a landmark in our history and a very exciting life to dive into. Who exactly was this man who only in his early 20s showed such heroism and at the same time was so thoroughly calculated in everything he did”, says Brean.
In the film, we follow Gunnar Sønsteby from the time he volunteers for resistance work after the German attack on Norway on 9 April 1940. He becomes the leader of the so-called "Oslo gang" of which Max Manus, among others, was a part. They carried out countless daring acts of sabotage during the war. No. 24 is a film which is both historically rooted, but which is also extremely relevant today.
No. 24 will be directed by Norwegian director and photographer John Andreas Andersen, who is known for directing the blockbusters The Quake (2018) and The Burning Sea (2021). The film is based on unique source material from, among others, the Sønsteby Foundation. The script is written by Erlend Loe, based on an original script by Espen von Ibenfeldt.
“Being allowed to make a film about the national hero Gunnar Sønsteby is a job I take on with great humility, while at the same time it's a story I can’t wait to tell. Sønsteby has an exciting and complex history and was faced with crazy challenges that we can hardly relate to, but which nevertheless feel incredibly relevant to our time”, says John Andreas Andersen.
No. 24 is produced by the production team behind the successful Norwegian Netflix film Troll, Kristian Sinkerud, Terje Strømstad and Espen Horn at Motion Blur, together with the internationally acclaimed producer John M. Jacobsen (Max Manus, The Heavy Water War) at Filmkameratene. The production companies Motion Blur and Filmkamratene are partly owned by SF Studios, that also distributes the film in the Nordics.
“It is quite incredible that no film has previously been made about Norway's greatest war hero Gunnar Sønsteby. We look forward to showing his incredible life and efforts for Norway to the Norwegian cinema audiences next autumn”, say producers Espen Horn and Kristian Strand Sinkerud at Motion Blur.
No. 24 will have its theatrical release in Norway in autumn 2024.
About Gunnar Sønsteby
Gunnar Sønsteby is Norway's most decorated citizen of all time, and is a representative of our brave resistance heroes from the World War II. He was known under cover names such as "Kjakan" and "Nr. 24". Sønsteby is the most highly decorated Norwegian officer from the Second World War. He is the only person to have received the War Cross with Swords three times. In the last years of his life, Sønsteby spent a lot of time traveling around and giving lectures, especially to schoolchildren.
For more information, please contact:
Silje Nikoline Glimsdal, Senior Acquisition Manager, SF Studios, silje.glimsdal@sfstudios.no, +45 244 00 802
Malin Strihagen, Vice President Brand & Communications, SF Studios, malin.strihagen@sfstudios.se, +46 70 780 39 35
About SF Studios
SF Studios is one of the world’s oldest film companies and is celebrating 100 years in 2019. Today SF Studios is the leading film studio in the Nordic region with its headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden and offices in Oslo, Copenhagen and Helsinki. The company is producing and distributing feature films and TV series as well as providing the streaming service SF Anytime. SF Studios is part of the leading Nordic media company Bonnier.
About Motion Blur
Motion Blur Films was founded in 2012. Latest productions include Troll (2021), Cadaver (2020), Amundsen (2019), The 12th Man (2018) and the TV-series Oil Fund (2018). Motion Blur’s goal is to be the Scandinavian leader in producing genre movies and TV-series for an international audience. Motion Blur is partly owned by SF Studios.
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