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Viveca Sten’s The Åre Murders will be adapted as a Viaplay series with SF Studios producing

15 November 2022 - Last updated 6 March 2023

Viveca Sten, author of The Åre Murders

The bestselling Swedish author Viveca Sten’s hit crime novels The Åre Murders (Swedish title: Åremorden) will be adapted as a drama series by Viaplay. Set in the simultaneously beautiful and bleak mountain landscapes of northern Sweden, the six-part show is produced by SF Studios in partnership with Viaplay and is directed by Joakim Eliasson (Honour, Gåsmamman). Viveca Sten’s books have been published in more than 40 countries and sold over 7.5 million copies, with the screen version of her international bestseller The Sandhamn Murders reaching nearly 100 million viewers worldwide. The Åre Murders will start filming in spring 2023 and will premiere on Viaplay in autumn 2024.

The Åre Murders is a crime series set in a Swedish mountain paradise where the local police unit struggles with scarce resources to solve serious crimes. The story revolves around Stockholm police officer Hanna Ahlander that takes refuge from personal and professional problems in the scenic village of Åre. But when a young woman disappears one freezing St. Lucia’s Day, Hanna is rapidly drawn into the investigation. Local police officer Daniel Lindskog reluctantly accepts her help – but can they trust each other?

“It feels great that this story will now be a series on Viaplay! When I started writing the books in Åre during the Covid-19 pandemic, I never imagined they would come to the screen so soon. I hope and believe that The Åre Murders will be just as successful as The Sandhamn Murders and I’m particularly looking forward to participating as an executive producer”, says Viveca Sten, author.

The six-part series is based on Viveca Sten's first two books about The Åre Murders. The book series was launched in 2020 by Bokförlaget Forum and the third book has recently been published. Joakim Eliasson (Honour, Gåsmamman) is directing based on a script written by scriptwriters Karin Gidfors (The Lawyer) and Jimmy Lindgren (Honour). The Åre Murders will start filming in spring 2023, with on-screen talents to be announced in due course.

"Viveca Sten has a unique ability to create characters that are loved by a big audience, her worlds are both appealing and dangerous. The Åre Murders have in a short time reached many readers both in the Nordics and internationally. We are happy to be able to adapt her stories and look forward to offering a wide audience real "quality crime" that allows viewers to empathize with victims, relatives and our police in the search for the truth," says Brita Lundqvist, producer at SF Studios.

“Viveca Sten’s storytelling has proven local and international appeal, and we anticipate a broad audience for this ambitious adaptation. The Åre Murders will deliver idyllic winter locations and ice-cold crime, all through the eyes of engaging characters familiar to Viveca’s millions of readers. High-quality shows such as this, set Viaplay apart and underline once again that Nordic noir has a very bright future.” Filippa Wallestam, Viaplay Group Chief Content Officer.

The Åre Murders is produced by SF Studios with producer Brita Lundqvist and executive producer Susann Billberg in co-production with Viaplay. Executive producers are also Helena Larand at Viaplay and Viveca Sten. Global sales are handled by Viaplay Content Distribution.

The Åre Murders will premiere on Viaplay in autumn 2024.

For more information, please contact:
Brita Lundqvist, Producer, SF Studios, brita.lundqvist@sfstudios.se, +46 70 497 17 21
Malin Strihagen, Vice President Brand & Communications, SF Studios, malin.strihagen@sfstudios.se, +46 70 780 39 35

About SF Studios
SF Studios, established in 1919, is one of the world’s oldest film companies. Today SF Studios is the leading film studio in the Nordic region with its headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden and offices in Oslo, Copenhagen, Helsinki and London. 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.

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