The follow-up to the first and so far only Danish action-comedy In China They Eat Dogs, which was well received by audiences and critics alike in 1999, Old Men In New Cars (In China They Eat Dogs 2), is getting ready to shoot in Sweden, after regional fund Film I Vast provided the final piece of the $1.8m (DKR14.5m) budget.

Like the first film, which scooped an impressive 220.000 admissions domestically and had offers for English-language remakes, the script for Old Men In New Cars is by the very talented young writer-director, Anders Thomas Jensen (Flickering Lights). Ex-stuntman Lasse Spang Olsen is back as director after completing the family-pirate-movie Jolly Roger. Technically a prequel, the film promises to have the same winning combination of snappy dialogue, humour and action, and popular Danish actors Kim Bodnia, Tomas Villum Jensen and Nikolaj Lie Kaas will reprise their parts from the first film.

The production is this time handled by Michael Obel's Thura Film (DEN) and Svenska Filmkompaniet (SWE), with Michel Schonnemann producing and Obel acting as executive producer.

Other backers include Danish broadcaster TV2 and the Danish Film Institute, with Sandrew Metronome handling domestic distribution. It marks producer Michel Schonnemann's feature debut.

Old Men In New Cars puts another feather in the cap of Film I Vast and its head Tomas Eskildsson. In recent years Film I Vast has turned into a major player in the financing of Nordic features. Among other projects are Dogville, the upcoming new film from Denmark's maverick Lars von Trier, as well as new films from Sweden's Lukas Moodysson and veteran Rikard Hobert. The latter's Alle Alskar Alice (Everybody Loves Alice) is produced by Sonet Film and shoots in September, while Moodysson's as yet untitled project is produced by Memfis Film and will shoot later in the year.

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