Swedish film and TV production outfit Yellow Bird has sold the English-language film rights for Norwegian director Morten Tyldum’s thriller Headhunters (Hodejegerne) to US company Summit Entertainment.

The American remake will be produced by Yellow Bird’s Marianne Gray and head of development Berna Levin on behalf of Summit.

The local adaptation of author Jo Nesbø’s novel has has already been licensed to 27 countries by TrustNordisk, including the US (Magnolia Pictures), Germany, France and the UK. Domestically it has registered more than 500,000 admissions for Nordisk Filmdistribusjon, while it has exceeded 100,000 in Denmark, as the most successful Norwegian film ever. It will open in Sweden on November 4.

“The contract with Summit gives us the chance not only to work with a stong partner who shares our passion for Nesbø’s story, but also to continue establishing us as producers in Hollywood, making sure our films will reach as big an audience as possible,” said Levin, who is head of development Berna Levin with Yellow Bird.

Nesbø’s crime story about about Norway’s most fortunate headhunter Roger Brown who seems to have everything, but finances his life in abundance by stealing art until one day … has sold 600,000 copies worldwide. The original film version was produced by Grey and Asle Vatn, of Norway’s Friland Produksjon, in collaboration with Danish major, Nordisk Film.

Yellow Bird - a part of the Zodiak Media Group - produced the Millennium trilogy from Swedish author Stieg Larsson’s novels. With Scott Rudin it is now co-producing the US remake of No 1, David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, for Sony Pictures. The film will open later this year.

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