30/01/2014 - With eight new films, Beck becomes Sweden’s largest series ever

Impersonating since 1997 police commissioner Martin Beck and his sidekick, Gunvald Lasson, Swedish actors Peter Haber and Mikael Persbrandt will dress up for another eight Beck thrillers, which will become Sweden’s largest series ever – 34 films shot in more than 800 days. The first 26 titles have been seen by 110 million on Sweden’s TV4, 1.2 in the cinemas, and sold more than four million DVDss.

Originally created by Swedish authors Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö, for their 10 novels in The Story of a Crime (1965-1975), Martin Beck has since been put to work by other writers – the new scripts were penned by Mårten Klingberg, Mikael Syrén, Antonia Pyk, and Daniel Karlsson. Klingberg will also direct the first two films.

“I'm interested in the underlying reasons why people commit serious crimes. The audience will not only be given the opportunity to engage with our heroes, but also the victims and perpetrators,” he said. “At the same time it is my ambition to further develop the unique combination of humour and seriousness that is the hallmark of the Beck series.”

With a cast also including regulars Ingvar Hirdwall, Måns Nathanaelson and Rebecka Hemse, the eight Beck films – which will be released on DVD and VOD before being aired by TV4 – are produced by Sweden’s Filmlance in collaboration with Nordisk Film and TV4. “It is by far the greatest detective series in the station’s history,” concluded TV4 programme director Åsa Sjöberg.