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We know that Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather trilogy is considered to be the zenith of mafia films. There have been other great titles such as Goodfellas, One Upon a Time in America, Scarface or Heat, but The Godfather trilogy (especially the first two movies) is something else. It is, without a doubt, peak cinema.

This trilogy set the scene for the story of the Corleone family, and while it was inspired by the books by Mario Puzo, the franchise is considered to be a faithful and accurate depiction of the life in mafia families, as well as the world of mafia in general.

Now, we can confirm that a new mafia-themed movie is on its way and it is going to be titled Corleone. The movie will begin production next year and we can also confirm that it has found its director. If you’re curious about the movie,...

Exclusive: Swedish director Amir Chamdin, whose drama Partisan won Best Series at the 2020 Canneseries market, has signed on to direct Corleone, an action-thriller set in the United States and Sicily.

Written by Sandro Lorino, Rich Ronat and Nate Adams, the film is based on a story by Sandro Lorino and and Antonio Lorino, and tells the story of a family man with a mysterious past, whose peaceful life is upended when he becomes entangled in a deathly cat-and-mouse game with the first female boss of the Cosa Nostra.

Production is being lined up for March, with casting currently underway. The film is being produced by Richard Salvatore (Stolen Girl), Nate Adams (Vanquish), and Sandro Lorino and Norbert Krott for Lorino Pictures. Executive producers include Fabio Costabile (Skincare) and Dirk Schweitzer (Operation Napoleon).

Chamdin most recently directed ballet Gustavia, which premiered at the Royal Opera House in Stockholm this past October.

In a TV sports world filled with athletes, Swedish director Amir Chamdin sees Borje Salming — the late Hall of Fame defenseman who paved the way for Europeans into the National Hockey League when he joined the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1973 — as the perfect role model worthy of a pedestal for his humility and devotion to family.

“I saw this tough guy. In fact, he’s the most humble guy I ever met. He’s a sweetheart … he’s a king in how he treated people,” Chamdin tells The Hollywood Reporter of first meeting Salming in a Stockholm café to discuss making Borje: The Journey of a Legend, a six-part drama for Scandinavian streamer Viaplay that will bow May 2 in the U.S. after premieres in Sweden and Canada.

Valter Skarsgård plays Salming as first a struggling pro hockey player in small town Sweden before he was discovered by legendary scout Gerry McNamara,...

The Nordic region’s largest streamer, Viaplay, has debuted in Canada, continuing its expansion into North America after landing in the U.S. on Feb. 22.

The direct-to-consumer platform touts itself as the premiere platform for Nordic Noir, the term used to describe the growing subgenre of Scandinavian crime dramas, thrillers, dark comedies and YA offerings.

Available in every Nordic and Baltic country, Viaplay has been gaining ground over the past several months, expanding across Europe, U.K. and Australia. In February, it reported an 83% rise year-over-year in streaming subscribers, a number that is expected to swell with the North American launches.

At launch, Viaplay is available at a rate of Cad$6.99 ($5.13) monthly after a free seven-day trial. A subscription includes the exclusive Canadian premieres of more than 50 premium series and films throughout 2023. Titles include biopic series “The Dreamer – Becoming Karen Blixen,” starring Connie Nielsen; Berlinale selection “The Architect”; and...

Ghost has released an evocative music video for their single “Spillways,” off the Swedish metal group’s recent LP, Impera.

Directed by Amir Chamdin, the cinematic clip sees the band performing in an austere, shadowy room as eight dancers interpret the song with blood dripping from their eyes. As they perform, the musicians wear gas masks while frontman Tobias Forge dons his signature black and white makeup as he sings about the need for internal darkness to escape.

Ghost, led by Forge, who performs under the stage name Papa Emeritus,...

Exclusive: Nent streamer Viaplay is seeking to partner with more major U.S. distribution platforms as it beds in “for the long term,” according to EVP and Chief Content Officer Filippa Wallestam.

The Scandi SVoD, which launched in the U.S. last month on Comcast Xfinity at $4.99 per month, is speaking to other partners and hopes to unveil more tie-ups later this year, with plans to go D2C further down the line.

“The U.S. is the biggest streaming market in the world and we are in it for the long term,” said Wallestam, who was speaking exclusively to Deadline before an appearance at the Television Critics Association (TCA) tour.

“We don’t have U.S. subscriber targets but would like to add more distribution partners and strengthen our offering.”

The move to the U.S. represented the next stage in Viaplay’s expansion and further launches in The Netherlands...

The Nordic giant's latest original will star Valter Skarsgård in the lead role. Nent Group is ready to launch a new original production, a biopic series about Sweden's greatest-ever ice hockey player, Börje Salming. The English-language show, created and directed by Amir Chamdin (the series Partisan), will star Valter Skarsgård in the leading role. The series, penned by Martin Bengtsson, will follow Salming's trailblazing journey from his humble roots north of the Arctic Circle to become an NHL legend. The first Swedish player inducted into the prestigious Hockey Hall of Fame, Börje Salming broke numerous records, captured the hearts of millions of fans and paved the way for countless Europeans to forge careers in the NHL, the world's best ice hockey league. In detail, Salming played over 1,100 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs across 16 seasons (1973-1989), notching 148 goals and 620 assists, and in 2017...

Erik Larsson previously of Partners in Stories to lead new division; ICM invested in Albatros last year.

Stockholm-based agency Albatros, which is part-owned by ICM, has launched a publishing division.

Albatros has hired Erik Larsson to lead the division, and he brings with him Maria Åhlin and Nora El Sharif, all three previously of literary agency Partners in Stories.

The new division kicks off already representing several top authors such as Jonas Jonasson (The Hundred-Year-Old Man), Denise Rudberg and Sofie Sarenbrant (the Emma Sköld series).

Albatros founders Elin Sandström Lundh and Martina Österling said: “The fact that some of Sweden...

Netflix has set the cast for Vikings: Valhalla, a sequel to History’s hit series, from Vikings creator Michael Hirst and studio MGM Television. Sam Corlett (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Frida Gustavsson (Swoon), Leo Suter (The Liberator), Bradley Freegard (Keeping Faith), Jóhannes Jóhannesson (Cursed), Laura Berlin (Immenhof – The Adventure of a Summer), David Oakes (The Pillars of the Earth) and Caroline Henderson (Tuya Siempre) are set as series regulars and Pollyanna McIntosh and Asbjørn Krogh Nissen will recur. A premiere date has not yet been set but it’s expected to debut in late 2021 or 2022.

Vikings: Valhalla begins in the early 11th century and chronicles the legendary adventures of some of the most famous Vikings who ever lived – Leif Eriksson, Freydis Eriksdotter, Harald Hardrada and the Norman King William the Conqueror. These men and women will blaze a path as they fight for survival in the ever changing and evolving world.

Swedish series was among 10 series competing in the third edition of the festival.

Swedish drama Partisan has clinched the top best series prize at the third edition of TV festival Canneseries, which ran Oct 9 to 14 as a hybrid event online and physically in its host city of Cannes.

Produced by Warner Brothers for Nordic Entertainment Group’s streaming service Viaplay, the show unfolds against the backdrop of an idyllic gated community in Sweden. Outwardly, it seems to live off its successful organic farming operation but a newcomer to the community discovers all is not as it seems.

In a rare...

The Swedish series created by Amir Chamdin and Fares Fares, based upon an idea by Mauricio Molinari, won the 3rd edition of the festival’s competition, with Moloch and Red Light also claiming trophies. The 3rd edition of Cannes International Series Festival - Canneseries has awarded its principal prize to the Swedish production Partisan. Created by Amir Chamdin and Fares Fares (who also leads the cast) based upon an original idea by Mauricio Molinari, the series which also stars Johan Rheborg, Sofia Karemyr and Anna Björk recounts the misadventures of Johnny as he enters Jordnära, an idyllic gated community that runs a very successful organic farm, as their new truck driver. He gets to know Nicole and Maria, two foster children who are spending the summer there. He soon starts to suspect trafficking. The more Johnny's concern for the girls grows, the more focus they take from his main mission.

A popular Swedish musician-turned-filmmaker, Amir Chamdin struck a chord with his slow-burning crime thriller series “Partisan” headlined by Fares Fares (“Chernobyl”). Before playing in competition at Canneseries, “Partisan” pulled the highest ratings for an original on Viaplay, the Nordics’ leading streaming service. “Partisan” follows Johnny (Fares Fares), a mysterious man who enters Jordnära, a seemingly idyllic gated community running a thriving organic farm, to work as a truck driver and soon suspects trafficking. The five-part series was produced by Warner Sweden and is being represented in international markets (outside of Scandinavia) by Federation Entertainment. Chamdin, who traveled to Canneseries in the South of France for the premiere of “Partisan,” spoke to Variety about the making of the series.

What’s the genesis of “Partisan”? How did you come up with this story?

I’m fond of many movies from the 1960’s and 1970’s and that inspired the look of it.

Dominated by the charisma of Swedish-Lebanese lead Fares Fares, a “Westworld” co-star, “Partisan,” a Warner Bros.- production for Scandinavia’s Nordic Entertainment Group (Nent) walked off Wednesday evening with best series at the 3rd Canneseries TV festival.

Due to play on Nent’s SVOD service Viaplay, the slow burning and unsettling Nordic Noir sees Fares Fares’ character, Johnny, accept a job at an closed gate organic food farm which is some kind of front for far more sinister activities.

Co-created by Amir Chandin and Fares and sold by Federation Entertainment, “Partisan” was part of a 10-title Canneseries competition which painted this year a fairly disturbing portrait of contemporary world.

“Although all the shows at Canneseries were made before Covid-19, they are still often very dark and often treat weighty social issues,” Albin Levi, Canneseries artistic director, told Variety.

Cannes’ special interpretation prize and student award went to the ensemble cast of “Red Light,...

Paris — AMC’s “The Walking Dead: World Beyond,” Amazon Prime’s “Upload,” and Apple TV’s “Trying” will make their international premieres at the 3rd edition of Canneseries, which will run from March 27 to April 1.

The Riviera-set fest will host tributes to David Hasselhoff (“Baywatch”), “Sharp Object” and “Euphoria” breakout Sydney Sweeney, and “Transparent” star Judith Light, before closing with the world premiere of “The Bureau,” Season 5.

Producer Gale Anne Hurd will lead this year’s jury alongside actors Ncuti Gatwa (“Sex Education”), Camille Cottin (“Call My Agent”) and Katja Herbers (“Westworld”), director Tawfik Abu Wael (“Our Boys”) and rocker Steward Copeland.

Pay-tv service Canal Plus will bring two high-profile French language offerings, launching the final season premiere of their spy thriller “The Bureau” and the series premiere of their hip-hop drama “Validé,” which was co-created by popular local star Franck Gastambide.

Of then ten series in the festival’s highly selective competition,...