Not even a record-breaking heatwave combined with fierce US blockbuster competition could prevent local Swedish action-thriller, Executive Protection (Livvakterna) from drawing appreciative crowds and topping the Swedish box office last weekend.

Despite reviews questioning the plausibility of the plot, about Eastern European gangsters threatening a Swedish businessman in Estonia, Anders Nilsson's follow-up to his 1999 success Zero Tolerance, grossed $338,577 from 83 prints, displacing strong competitors, Bridget Jones's Diary, Planet Of The Apes and Pearl Harbor, from the top of the charts.

"That my film was seen by 12 times as many as the new Crocodile Dundee is great," commented director Nilsson to local media. "Now I can take a rest, which I haven't been able to do for weeks." Joakim Hansson again produced and co-wrote with the director for Sonet Film, who also distributed the film. The duo is already preparing another sequel, but Nilsson has also been developing an additional script, which might become his English-language debut.

In neighbouring Denmark Charlotte Sachs Bostrup's young-adult romantic comedy, Anja & Viktor, stayed on top of the charts with another 40,638 admissions adding up to an impressive 405,632 in just three weeks. Meanwhile, Gert Fredholm's new serious-comedy One Hand Clapping (At Klappe med een Haand) opened in third place 18,690 admissions on 62 prints. One Hand Clapping received very favourable reviews across the board, and will no doubt climb the chart rapidly as soon as word of mouth gets going. Executive Protection and One Hand Clapping are sold by Trust Film Sales, who will present the Swedish thriller in London. Anja & Viktor is handled by Nordisk Film International Sales.