Magic Silver sets new record

by Annika Pham

20/11/2009 - Norwegian title Magic Silver [trailer], by Katarina Launing and Roar Uthaug, broke the opening record for a children’s film, with over 75,090 tickets sold last weekend for Sandrew Metronome.

The previous record for a Norwegian children’s film was held by Knerten [trailer], which scored 65,214 admissions late October over its first three days of release. Frida Ohrvik, head of Sandrew Metronome Norway, said: “Magic Silver is the first major Christmas film since The Great Journey to the Bethlehem Star, made some 33 years ago, and it shows that Norwegian tradition with goblins and adventure is meant for a wide theatrical audience.”

Magic Silver is a live action fantasy film about Princess Bluerose, a little gnome living in the Norwegian mountains. A small community of Gnomes is responsible for making the transition between daylight and night. This time is called the magic hour, and is created by the magic silver that only these Gnomes possess. When the silver is stolen by other Gnomes and humans, the world is transformed into eternal night, and Princess Bluerose sets out on a mission to retrieve the silver and save the world from eternal darkness.

The film was produced by Jørgen Storm Rosenberg (The Bothersome Man [trailer, film focus]), Producer on the Move 2005, and Lasse Greve Alsos (Storm Rosenberg AS). It is based on a popular TV series for children that has been airing on Norwegian public broadcaster NRK for almost 10 years. Two additional features based on the same characters are in development.

World rights are handled by NonStop Sales. Deals have already been closed for Spain and China, and France and Russia are in negotiations. The film will have its international market premiere at the European Film Market in Berlin 2010.