05/03/2009

A record 350,000 Swedes and Danes saw Niels Arden Oplev’s Millenium [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Niels Arden Oplev
interview: Søren Stærmose
film profile] last weekend, making it the biggest opening ever for a Swedish film in Denmark and the second biggest opening ever for a Swedish film at home.

The 140-minute film version of Stieg Larsson’s first book of the Millennium trilogy opened in pole position in both territories. The film sold 175,000 tickets in Sweden (including previews) from 164 screens and was second only to Arn: The Knight Templar [+see also:
trailer
film profile], which opened on Christmas Day 2007 on 200 screens.

In Denmark, the film fared even better, with almost 176,000 admissions (including previews) from 102 screens. According to Jan Lehmann, managing director of Nordisk Film Distribution Denmark, Millenium had the biggest opening ever for a Scandinavian film (including Danish films) in Denmark, beating last year’s local hit Flame & Citron [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (93,000 admissions in the first three days).

The film’s historic opening made the headlines of the Internet and print media, especially in the countries where it will soon be released theatrically, such as Norway (March 13), Finland (March 27) and France, where UGC is planning to release it May 13, the opening day of the Cannes Film Festival. Rumours in the press have it that Millenium will open the festival.

Mikael Wallén, managing director at the film’s production company Yellow Bird, did not confirm the rumours but told Cineuropa that the cast and crew would be going to the Croisette in May to promote the film.

Meanwhile, UGC head of promotion Benjamin Clery-Melin told French daily Le Monde that his company has put up numerous teaser posters of the film, the first of a two-step campaign that places Millenium among the 20 biggest releases of the year in France, a record for a Swedish-language film.