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
Copyright: Photo credit: Niclas Vestefjell
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.
Latest news
SF Studios and Nordisk Film urge the Finnish government to reconsider the proposed significant cuts in film funding
The Finnish government’s proposed reduction of nearly €8 million in national film funding has sparked an important discussion about the future of Finland’s cultural and creative industries. The film sector is not only a source of artistic expression, but also a driver of employment, entrepreneurship, innovation, and local vitality across the country.
SF Studios and REinvent International Sales announce the psychological thriller Doctor Glas
SF Studios and REinvent International Sales announce the psychological thriller Doctor Glas, a modern adaptation of Hjalmar Söderberg’s novel of the same name. The film stars Thea Sofie Loch Næss, Isac Calmroth and Christian Fandango. Triangledrama produces the film together with Unlimited Stories, producer behind this year's Swedish Oscar Submission Eagles of the Republic. SF Studios distributes the film in the Nordics with REinvent handling international sales.
SF Studios produces SkyShowtime drama The Trio
Production has officially begun in Sweden on SF Studios production The Trio, a new six-part SkyShowtime Original series based on Johanna Hedman’s bestselling novel. The drama stars August Wittgenstein (The Crown), Felix Sandman (Sommartider), Seth Manteus (Cherries) and Rebecka Harper, and is directed by Anders Hazelius from a screenplay by Veronica Zacco.
SF Studios wins four awards at the Danish Svend Awards
Yesterday, the Danish Svend awards announced the winners of 2024/25 during a gala ceremony and our production and distribution titles received a total of four awards: Best Danish Youth Picture (Pretty Young Love/Smukkere), Breakthrough of the Year (Karoline Hamm in Pretty Young Love/SMUKKERE), Best Foreign Language Film (It Ends With Us) and Jury’s Special Prize (Zinnini Elkington for Second Victims/Det Andet Offer).
Tarik Saleh’s Eagles of the Republic selected as Sweden’s International Oscar Submission
Today the Swedish Film Institute’s Oscar Committee revealed that Eagles of the Republic by Tarik Saleh is Sweden’s Submission for an Oscar for Best International Feature Film. The 98th Academy Awards will be held in Los Angeles on March 15, 2026.
Tarik Saleh’s Eagles of the Republic selected for Toronto International Film Festival
The political thriller starring Fares Fares, Lyna Khoudri and Zineb Triki is set in the powerful and glamorous Egyptian film industry, where the brightest shining star is drawn into the vicious undercurrent of deceit, corruption, and propaganda. Eagles of the Republic had its world premiere in the main section of the Cannes film festival earlier this year. In Toronto it will be screened in the Centrepiece section that honours and celebrates global cinematic achievements. The 50th edition of Toronto International Film Festival takes place between September 4-14, 2025. Eagles of the Republic is the third and final film in Tarik Saleh's Cairo trilogy after successful The Nile Hilton Incident (Grand Jury Prize award, Sundance 2017) and Cairo Conspiracy aka Boy from Heaven (Best Screenplay, Cannes 2022). The film, written and directed by Tarik Saleh, was shot in Istanbul last spring and summer and wrapped up in Gothenburg. ”I have barely processed the amazing reception our film received in Cannes. Being invited to the biggest film festival in North America is incredibly exciting. There is no better place to start the film's journey across the Atlantic", says Tarik Saleh. SF Studios distributes the film in the Nordic countries, with a theatrical release scheduled for fall 2025. The stellar international cast includes Swedish award-winning actor Fares Fares, French star Lyna Khoudri, the Egyptian Hollywood star Amr Waked, celebrated French-Moroccan actress Zineb Triki, renowned American-Palestinian actress Cherien Dabis and critically acclaimed Finnish-Syrian actor Sherwan Haji. About the filmEgypt's most adored actor, George Fahmy (Fares Fares) is pressured to star in a film commissioned by the highest authorities. He reluctantly accepts the role and finds himself thrown into the inner circle of power. Like a moth drawn to the flame he begins an affair with the mysterious wife of the general overseeing the film. The music of the film is composed by Academy Award winner Alexandre Desplat (Asteroid City, 2023, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio, 2022, Little Women, 2019, The Shape of Water, 2017, The Imitation Game, 2014). International sales are handled by Playtime, French distribution by Memento and SF Studios is distributing Pan-Nordic. The previous films in the Cairo trilogy were both huge international successes. Tarik Saleh won the Best Screenplay award at the Cannes Film Festival 2022 for Cairo Conspiracy aka Boy from Heaven. The film was Sweden's Oscar entry 2023 and received a César nomination for ’Best Foreign Film’ 2023. The Nile Hilton Incident received the Grand Jury Award at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, the Swedish Academy Award for ’Best Film’ in 2018, and a César nomination for ’Best Foreign Language Film, to name a few awards. Eagles of the Republic aka Les Aigles de la République is a Swedish (Unlimited Stories & Apparaten), French (Memento Production), Danish (Ström Pictures), Finnish (Bufo Oy) and German (Films Boutique) co-production with a budget of 9 M€, making it one of the biggest productions for an Arabic language film to date. Starring in the leading role as George Fahmy is award-winning Fares Fares who also starred in the two previous films in the Cairo trilogy, Cairo Conspiracy aka Boy from Heaven (2022) and The Nile Hilton Incident (2017), the latter for which Fares received a Guldbagge Award for ’Best actor in a leading role’. Fares and Tarik have a long-standing working relationship, Fares has participated in Saleh’s Hollywood movie The Contractor, 2022, the animated dystopia Metropia, 2009 and in the futuristic HBO-series Westworld, 2018. The role of Donya, George’s girlfriend is portrayed by French star Lyna Khoudri (The French Dispatch, 2021), who won a César in 2020 for ’Most Promising Actress’ for Papicha and the Orizzonti (Horizon) Award for 'Best Actress’ for Les Bienheureux aka the Blessed at the Venice Film Festival in 2017. The stellar cast also includes names like celebrated French-Moroccan actress Zineb Triki (Vortex, 2022, The Bureau aka Le Bureau des Légendes, 2015-2020, Arthur Rambo, 2021), Egyptian Hollywood star Amr Waked (Firebrand, 2023, Lucy, 2014, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, 2011, Contagion, 2011, Syriana, 2005), American-Palestinian actress Cherien Dabis (Amazon Prime’s Fallout, 2024, Netflix’ Mo, 2022-2024, May in the Summer, 2013), who also is an award-winning writer and director in her own right (Only Murders in the Building, 2021-2023, Ramy, 2019-2022, Ozark, 2020, Amreeka, 2009), critically acclaimed Finnish-Syrian actor Sherwan Haji (Fallen Leaves aka Höstlöv som faller, 2023, Cairo Conspiracy aka Boy from Heaven, 2022, The Other Side of Hope aka Ljus i natten, 2017), and Jordanian actor Suhaib Nashwan (Amira, 2021, Chronicles of Her, 2020, Layla M., 2016, The Team, 2018), among others. Eagles of the Republic is produced by Unlimited Stories, Apparaten, and Memento Production, in co-production with Ström Pictures, Bufo, Films Boutique, SVT, Film i Väst, ARTE France Cinéma, SF Studios, Mikael Ahlström Films and Playtime. With the support of the Swedish Film Institute, Playtime, Canal +, Ciné +, Eurimages, Nordisk Film & TV Fund, Memento, Bayerisher Rundfunk, ARTE France, Danish Film Institute, Centre National du Cinéma et de l'image animée, Paris Region Fund, Finnish Film Foundation, YLE and DR. Produced by Linus Stöhr Torell (Unlimited Stories), Linda Mutawi, Johan Lindström (Apparaten) and Alexandre Mallet-Guy (Memento Production). Nordic distribution: SF StudiosFrench distribution: MementoInternational sales: Playtime Behind the cameraDirector – Tarik SalehWriter – Tarik SalehProducers – Linda Mutawi, Linus Stöhr Torell, Johan Lindström and Alexandre Mallet-GuyPhotographer – Pierre AïmProduction Designer – Roger RosenbergCostume Designer – Virginie Montel Make up & Hair Designer – Saara RäisänenEditor – Theis SchmidtMusic composer - Alexandre Desplatamong others Tarik Saleh – Director and ScriptwriterTarik Saleh has a background as one of the most influential graffiti artists in Europe in the 80’s. His dramatic feature film debut came with Metropia, 2009, a dystopic animation with Stellan and Alexander Skarsgård, Juliette Lewis, Vincent Gallo and Udo Kier. The film premiered at Venice Film Festival as opening film for Critics’ Week. The Nile Hilton Incident won ‘The Grand Jury Prize’ at Sundance 2017, received a Guldbagge Award for ‘Best film’ in 2018, was nominated as ‘Best Foreign Film’ at the César Awards and was a box office hit with more than 400 000 tickets sold in France. Tarik Saleh won the Prix du scénario for ’Best Screenplay’ at the Cannes Film Festival 2022 for Cairo Conspiracy aka Boy from Heaven, Sweden's Oscar entry in 2023, received a César nomination for ’Best Foreign Film’ and achieved over 500 000 cinema admissions in France. He also directed The Contractor, 2022 starring Chris Pine, Ben Foster and Kiefer Sutherland, episodes of the futuristic HBO-series Westworld and Ray Donavon for Showtime 2018 and the Swedish thriller Tommy, 2014. Saleh also directed the documentaries Gitmo: The New Rules of War, 2005 and Sacrificio: Who Betrayed Che Guevara, 2001 together with Erik Gandini. Further, Saleh is known for his collaborations with singer Lykke Li. The music video "I Follow Rivers" has over 60 million views on YouTube. Press contactFor further information and interview requests please contact MONDAY RELATIONS:Camilla Nasiell, camilla.nasiell@mondayrelations.se, +46 70 720 65 63 About SF StudiosSF 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 and Helsinki. The company is producing and distributing feature films and TV series as well as providing the streaming services SF Anytime and Blockbuster. SF Studios is part of the leading Nordic media company Bonnier.
SF Studios and REinvent International Sales release trailer for anticipated Brightly Shining
Today, SF Studios and REinvent International Sales release the trailer for the Norwegian Christmas feature film Brightly Shining, based on Ingvild Rishøi's critically acclaimed and bestselling novel of the same name. The film is directed by Ida Sagmo Tvedte who has also written the script together with the author Ingvild H. Rishøi. The film had its world premiere at the prestigious children’s film festival Giffoni International Film Festival on July and will have its theatrical premiere on October 17 in Norway.
Jerry Carlsson receives the 2nd The Ingmar Bergman Script Award
At the closing ceremony of the 21st edition of Bergman Week, it was announced that Jerry Carlsson is the recipient of the second annual Ingmar Bergman Script Award for his feature film script "Invasion". The award is a collaboration between SF Studios and the Bergman Center, and aims to encourage emerging filmmakers and screenwriters to write scripts for feature films with high artistic ambitions, aiming to reach a broad audience.
SF Studios boards screen adaptation of Andrev Walden’s best-selling novel Bloody Men
Today at the film festival in Cannes, it is announced that SF Studios boards Bloody Men (Swedish title: Jävla karlar) as Nordic distributor. The award-winning novel will be transferred to the screen by director Jens Sjögren and screenwriter Jakob Beckman. B-Reel Films produces the film which is expected to have its theatrical release through SF Studios during fall 2026.
Paradox launches Production on Jon Fosse’s original screenplay Bad Moon Rising; REinvent boards International Sales
Today in Cannes it was announced that Norwegian production company Paradox, owned by SF Studios, is about to launch production of Bad Moon Rising, a new feature film from award-winning director Erik Poppe (The Emigrants, A Thousand Times Good Night), based on the first ever original screenplay for the screen by Nobel Prize-winning author Jon Fosse. REinvent International Sales will handle global distribution rights and SF Studios distributes the film in the Nordics.
Charlotte Førli Neumann joins SF Studios as Head of Theatrical Distribution in Norway
SF Studios today announces that Charlotte Førli Neumann will be joining the company as Head of Theatrical Distribution in Norway, starting August 1, 2025. In this role, Charlotte will oversee all aspects of theatrical film releases in Norway, including strategy, budgeting, release planning, marketing, sales, and media investments.
Tarik Saleh's Eagles of the Republic in competition for Palme d'Or in Cannes
Tarik Saleh’s Eagles of the Republic has been selected in competition for the prestigious Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Eagles of the Republic is the third film in Saleh’s Cairo trilogy following Cannes winner (Best Screenplay, 2022) Cairo Conspiracy aka Boy from Heaven. The political thriller starring Fares Fares is set in the powerful and glamorous Egyptian film industry, where the brightest shining star is drawn into the vicious undercurrent of deceit, corruption, and propaganda. The Cannes Film Festival takes place between May 13 and 24, 2025.
SF Studios’ new Danish comedy production OFFROAD starts shooting in Tenerife
The team behind the new Danish comedy OFFROAD has headed south to Tenerife to begin filming with a star-studded cast. Alongside the lead trio – Sofie Jo Kaufmanas, Julie Rudbæk, and Katinka Lærke Petersen – playing the roles of friends Maggie, Eva, and Stine, the cast also includes Ulrich Thomsen, Rasmus Bjerg, Rasmus Botoft, and Jesper Groth. OFFROAD is directed by Rasmus Heide, written by Rasmus Heide and Sara Ejersbo, and produced by SF Studios. The film is expected to premiere in cinemas during the autumn break of 2026.
SF Studios announces the Final Installment in the Nelly Rapp Trilogy, Premiering in 2026
SF Studios has now announced that the third and final film of the popular Nelly Rapp trilogy, based on Martin Widmark’s beloved books, will premiere in 2026. Nelly Rapp – The Gate to the Underworld picks up where the previous film left off, once again following Matilda Gross as the popular monster agent. Johan Rosell returns as director, with a screenplay by Sofie and Tove Forsman. Jonathan Ridings and Niklas Larsson are producing for SF Studios, which is also distributing the film. Filming is set to begin in October 2025, and audiences can look forward to its theatrical release in 2026. REinvent handles international sales.
SF Studios’ production The Are Murders is a global success on Netflix
SF Studio's Swedish Netflix Production The Are Murders (Swedish title: Åremorden), which premiered on Netflix on February 6, has become a global sensation on Netflix. The series quickly became the most watched series during the week in 26 countries and has been called “Netflix’s Best New Crime Show” by Forbes. The series has garnered 8 800 000 views and is the most watched non-English series of the week.
