The theatrical success of Norwegian director Morten Tyldum's Fallen Angels (Falne engler) - the fourth film in the Varg Veum series based on Gunnar Staalesen's best-selling novels - has whetted the appetite for another package of thrillers starring Trond Espen Seim as the Bergen-based private investigator.
After 10 days Fallen Angels has clocked in 65,000 admissions domestically, to take the No 1 position on the local charts for leading distributor, SF Norge, which will also participate in the second round, with commercial broadcaster TV2.
The six follow-up movies will be produced by CineMiso, a new production single established by Norway's CineNord and Denmark's Miso Film, which have collaborated on the first Varg Veum outing, Norway's most expensive film project.
'We had decided to see how the audience would receive Fallen Angels to greenlight the second wave, but selling 36,000 tickets in five days was a pretty good argument,' said Danish producer Jonas Allen, realising the $15.5m (Euros 9.8m) series.
Cinenord (Tanya Badendyck, Silje Hopland Eik) and Miso Film (Allen, Peter Bose), which have cooperated on such films as Trigger, Vegas and The Candidate (Kandidaten), will also continue to make films under their own labels.
Lead actor Seim has accepted another six appearances as Philip Marlowe's Norwegian cousin, and Bjørn Floberg will also return in his role as police detective. 'I look forward to further develop, and show new aspects of the character,' added Seim.
In Norway the first three Veum films have sold 200,000 DVD units, including 20,000 for rentals. According to Allen preparations for the next package will take 12-16 months, and shooting start during the autumn 2009.
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