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PRODUCTION / FUNDING Sweden

Felix Herngren prepping Netflix Original title Anxious People

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- The Swedish dramedy series is based on Fredrik Backman's novel of the same name

Felix Herngren prepping Netflix Original title Anxious People
Director Felix Herngren

Stockholm-born filmmaker-actor Felix Herngren is working on a new Netflix Original production, entitled Anxious People. Herngren is best known for his successful comedy The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared [+see also:
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(2013), which grossed over €44 million worldwide, and the Swedish TV series The Sunny Side, the saga of which was brought to a close by a feature of the same name, The Sunny Side [+see also:
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, released in 2017 and directed in tandem with his brother Måns Herngren.

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Anxious People, penned in its entirety by Camilla Ahlgren (Quicksand [+see also:
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, Spring Tide, The Sandhamn Murders), centres on a hostage drama that unfolds during an open house. A failed bank robber locks himself in with an over-enthusiastic real-estate agent, two bitter IKEA addicts, a pregnant woman, a suicidal multi-millionaire and a rabbit. In the end, the robber gives up and lets everyone go, but when the police officers storm the apartment, they find it empty.

Asked to testify, the witnesses all tell their version of the events, whereupon a classic puzzle mystery develops around the questions: “How did the robber manage to escape?”, “Why is everyone so angry?” and “What is wrong with people these days?”

Speaking about his project and his collaboration with novelist Fredrik Backman, upon whose novel the series is based, Herngren said: “Fredrik Backman has a unique sense and ability to portray people and to find interesting stories that reflect Sweden. It will be a privilege to shape this amazing book together with Camilla Ahlgren. Furthermore, it feels great to be continuing our collaboration with Netflix, which will make this fantastic story come to life for the global audience.”

Backman added: “My wife and I feel that FLX has in the past few years shown a tremendous range not only in their comedies, but also – and especially – in their dramas, so we are truly glad and proud that they wish to take on this particular story. Felix Herngren is an extraordinary storyteller with a unique sense of comedy, who is a dream to work with. Camilla Ahlgren understands the fragile and messy parts of humans and writes real people, not just characters. This book could not be in better hands.” Backman’s first novel, entitled A Man Called Ove, was brought to the big screen by director Hannes Holm in 2015’s A Man Called Ove [+see also:
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. Holm's adaptation garnered two Academy Award nominations two years later (for Best Foreign-language Film, and Best Make-up and Hairstyling).

The production was announced last Thursday at the Frankfurt Book Fair. Anxious People is being staged by Fatima Varhos, Pontus Edgren and Martina Håkansson, for Stockholm-based outfit FLX. The executive producers will be Fredrik Backman, Neda Backman and Tor Jonasson, for Salomonsson Agency. This is FLX's third Netflix Original, following Quicksand (2019) and Lisa Langseth's upcoming Love & Anarchy.

An official release date is yet to be disclosed.

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