Banijay Group is the world's largest independent content creation Group for television and multimedia platforms. Banijay Group is present in 16 territories.
Banijay Group is the world's largest independent content creation Group for television and multimedia platforms. Banijay Group is present in 16 territories.

Tag Archive: Berna Levin

  1. Richard Dillane, Leanne Best & Adam Pålsson Starring in New Netflix Original Young Wallander

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    The filming of Young Wallander has just begun – the new Netflix original series based on Henning Mankell’s best-selling Kurt Wallander novels. The cast includes Adam Pålsson (Kurt Wallander), Richard Dillane (Superintendent Hemberg), Leanne Best (Frida Rask), Ellise Chappell (Mona) and Yasen Atour (Reza). The series is created by Yellow Bird UK, a Banijay Group company, and the producer of the Swedish Wallander franchise at TV4 as well as the successful BBC series Wallander from 2008.

    I couldn’t be more honoured and thrilled to have the opportunity to play the young Kurt Wallander, and to explore the defining events in the life of this complex, driven protagonist, created by the brilliant Henning Mankell. With a terrific cast and creative team, I have every confidence that our new version will resonate both in Sweden and with audiences worldwide,” says Adam Pålsson.

    Berna Levin, Creative Director, Yellowbird UK says: “In revisiting the beloved character of Kurt Wallander, we searched for an actor of great calibre and integrity. Someone who could carry the mantle previously worn by some of the most legendary actors of our time, honouring their brilliant past performances while also bringing in his own unique and contemporary take on this iconic role. Adam’s impressive body of work and uncompromising dedication to the role made him the obvious choice. Standing with an amazing cast, we have no doubt that together, they will take Wallander to new heights and enthral audiences all over again.”

    The English-language drama series is told over six serialized episodes and is set in contemporary Sweden. Young Wallander sees Henning Mankell’s iconic detective Kurt Wallander investigate his gripping first case. The story focuses on the formative experiences – professional and personal – faced by Kurt as a recently graduated police officer in his early twenties.

    Young Wallander is directed by Ole Endresen and Jens Jonsson and produced by Berna Levin. Screenwriter is Ben Harris. Casting is made by Sophie Holland CSA (The Witcher) and the cast also includes Charles Mnene, Jacob Collins-Levy, Alan Emrys and Kiza Deen.

    Young Wallander will launch exclusively on Netflix in 2020.

    Main cast

    Adam Pålsson (Kurt Wallander)
    Adam Pålsson achieved widespread recognition and acclaim in the SVT drama Don’t Ever Wipe Tears Without Gloves. He played the leading role in the TV series Moscow Noir , and has appeared in such shows as The Bridge , Code 1525 and Before We Die. He also portrayed the title character in the feature Ted- For Love’s Sake about the legendary Swedish pop star Ted Gärdestad.

    Richard Dillane (Superintendent Hemberg)
    Richard appeared in the Oscar-winning feature Argo and the multi-award-winning Oranges and Sunshine , as well as The Jacket , The Edge of Love and Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight . Among his numerous television credits are Wolf Hall , Poldark and Peaky Blinders . His stage work includes seasons at the RSC and National Theatre.

    Leanne Best (Frida Rask)
    Leanne’s TV credits include Line of Duty , Ripper Street and Black Mirror , as well as major roles in Tin Star , Home Fires and the BAFTA-winning Cold Feet . She portrayed the title character in the feature film Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death and appeared in Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool , alongside Annette Benning and Jamie Bell. Her stage credits include the Pulitzer Prize winning Sweat at the Donmar Warehouse.

    Ellise Chappell (Mona)
    Known for her leading role as Morwenna in BBC’s BAFTA winning Poldark , Ellise also starred in Sky’s The Last Dragonslayer and the Danny Boyle/Richard Curtis feature film Yesterday.

    Yasen Atour (Reza)
    Yasen will have a leading role in the upcoming feature film Small City. He has also appeared in the recent features Ben Hur and Robin Hood . He has also had television roles in ITV’s Dark Heart and Marcella , as well as Peter Kominsky’s critically acclaimed miniseries The State.

    Charles Mnene (Bash)
    Charles’s TV credits include The Widow , The State , Misfits and Silent Witness . He has also appeared in the feature films The Informer and NW . He will play the leading role in the upcoming feature Riding With Sugar by award-winning director Sunu Gonera.

    Jacob Collins-Levy (Karl-Axel Munck)
    Known for his leading role as King Henry VII in the Starz miniseries The White Princess , Jacob has also appeared in episodes of Pure and Doctor Who . He will appear in the upcoming feature adaptation of the Booker Prize winning True History of the Kelly Gang , directed by Justin Kurzel.

    Alan Emrys (Gustav Munck)
    Alan is a recent graduate of Drama Centre London. Since graduating Alan has appeared in Johnny English 3 and 4Stories .

    Kiza Deen (Mariam)
    Kiza’s TV credits include Hollyoaks and Silent Witness. On stage, she earned rave reviews for her solo performance in debbie tucker green’s random at the Leeds Playhouse.

  2. Yellow Bird UK Triggers Book Options on Spotify Untold

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    Yellow Bird UK, a Banijay Group company, has optioned the screen rights for Spotify Untold (Spotify Inifrån), the gripping and relevant tale of the secretive start-up that evolved to become one of the world’s leading music services, Spotify. Penned by Sven Carlsson and Jonas Leijonhufvud, and published by Albert Bonniers Förlag, the novel is currently in development for a limited series.

     

    Based on tell-all-book, Spotify Untold, the drama will examine how a secretive start-up wooed record companies, shook the music industry to its core, and conquered Wall Street. A tale of tech entrepreneurship, this is a journey beset with egos, obstacles, and betrayal.

     

    Central to the series is Spotify’s turbulent journey into the US market; a chess match between the new kids and the old guard, with Steve Jobs himself stepping in to frustrate their progress. The Swedes had a secret weapon in the form of playboy billionaire and Napster founder, Sean Parker.  Jobs, meanwhile, sent in ally and music guru Jimmy Iovine to poach Spotify’s employees to Beats Music, soon to be Apple Music and Spotify’s primary rival. With a number of other obstacles along the way, the show taps into the cut-throat and rapidly evolving industry in which this major player sits as the kingmaker.

     

    Berna Levin, Executive Producer, Yellow Bird comments: “Spotify Untold is the ultimate tale of achieving the impossible and unimaginable. A modern-day David vs. Goliath set in the dynamic arena of the music industry, this is the true story of youth challenging the establishment. With reality trumping fiction at every turn, we will explore one of the greatest and most surprising technological advancements of our time.”

     

    Jonas Leijonhufvud, co-author of Spotify Untold: “We’re very excited. The rise of Spotify is one of the greatest stories to come out of Sweden in the past ten years. It’s a saga of a young founder who came out of nowhere and beat Apple at their own game.”

     

    Sven Carlsson, co-author of Spotify Untold: “The Spotify story is a drama at the highest levels of tech, music and finance. It’s perfect for the screen and Yellow Bird is the ideal partner, with their strong track record in making Nordic stories come alive on the international scene.”

     

    The series will be developed and produced by Yellow Bird UK, with Berna Levin serving as EP and Luke Franklin as Producer.  Carlsson and Leijonhufvud will consult on the project. The rights were sought from Eleonoora Kirk at Bonnier Rights.