Yellow Bird (company)
Encyclopedia
Yellow Bird is a Swedish
film and television production company founded by best-selling novelist Henning Mankell
and film-producers Ole Søndberg and Lars Björkman. The company was founded to produce films based on Mankell's Kurt Wallander
novels. Yellow Bird was sold to Danish media house Zodiak Entertainment in 2007. Today they specialize in adopting Scandinavian crime literature for cinemas and television.
as Kurt Wallander were produced. The first film is based on the Linda Wallander novel Before the Frost
and was released in cinemas. The rest of the films are original stories based on plots written by Mankell with scriptwriting completed by others. Two more were theatrical releases and the rest were released on DVD and shown on TV.
In 2008, a further 13 films were commissioned. Filming began in August 2008, and filming will continue, and releases begin, in 2009.
The first of these films, Hämnden (The Revenge), was a theatrical release on 9 January 2009, directed by award-winning Paris-based Franco-Swedish director Charlotte Brändström. The remaining 12 films will be released on DVD and then be broadcast on TV4 at a later date.
After filming is completed on the 2009 series, Henriksson will not play Wallander again, having only signed the new contract because he thought the 2005 series could have been better.
As a series, Mankell's Wallander has been nominated for The International TV Dagger at the 2009 Crime Thriller Awards, an awards ceremony presented by British television channel ITV3
and the Crime Writers' Association
.
Yellow Bird recently co-produced two English-language series series, starring Kenneth Branagh
as Wallander, with the British
broadcaster, the BBC
. Series 1 premiered in the UK in November 2008 and series 2 aired in January 2010.
The first series won several BAFTAs. Branagh’s portrayal won him the award for best actor at the 35th Broadcasting Press Guild Television and Radio Awards
(2009).
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association
has nominated Branagh for the Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television for his performance in One Step Behind.
critically acclaimed Millennium trilogy. The Millennium books were originally intended to be released as one motion picture and two television mini-series, but popular demand and pressure from the Swedish Film Institute
, one of the main financiers behind the films, altered the original plans. The Millennium films have been sold to most European and many Latin American markets. The films will also see a US release.
Yellow Bird executive producer Sören Staermose confirmed in an interview with Swedish newspaper Expressen that negotiations are taking place to produce English language Millennium films. This would not be a US remake of the Swedish films but rather new Hollywood films based on the books. In the interview he states that the possible US films might be produced in a similar way as the Wallander TV series starring Kenneth Branagh, shooting in Sweden using English speaking actors. He also states that it is up to the director and says that the story could just as well take place in another country, like Canada.
On December 16, 2009 leading Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet
reported that Sony Pictures Entertainment
are in final negotiating with Yellow Bird about the film rights according to Yellow Bird Managing Director Mikael Wallén. Steve Zaillian has been in discussions to adapt the first book.
’s books featuring the criminal reporter Annika Bengtzon. Plans to produce movies for the Scandinavian and international markets are currently underway for each of the six titles: Studio Sex, Prime Time, The Red Wolf, Nobel’s Last Will, Lifetime and A Place in the Sun.
Liza Marklund’s Annika Bengtzon series has a loyal following all over the world. The eight books have sold more than nine million copies internationally and have been translated into 30 languages. Liza Marklund is currently working on the ninth book in the series.
Filming is expected to start at the end of 2010 with an estimated budget of approximately SEK 100 million.
.
In March 2009 the company acquired the film rights for Norwegian crime writer Anne Holt
's books about inspector Yngvar Stubø and Inger Johanne Vik – a psychologist and lawyer with a previous career in the FBI.
In April 2009 the company announced they optioned film rights to Norwegian author Jo Nesbø
's most recent novel Headhunters.
The company recently purchased the rights to Blekingegadeligan, the bestselling book by Danish journalist Peter Øvig Knudsen about The Blekinge Street Gang
, a group of about a dozen communist political activists who during the 1970s and 80s committed a number of highly professional robberies in Denmark
and sent the money to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
. The series will consists of 8 episodes and shown on Danish channel DR1 in 2011.
. The series is made for broadcaster ARD.The leading role is played by the well known German actress Iris Berben. The series also stars the famous Swedish actors Michael Nyqvist and Rolf Lassgård.
In October 2008, Yellow Bird launched its new subsidiary “Yellow Bird Pictures”, based in Munich, Germany. The start up is a joint venture between Yellow Bird and producer Oliver Schündler. Yellow Bird Pictures will focus on cinema feature films and TV fiction for the German-speaking market. Initial productions will be based on rights that Yellow Bird already controls, which will shorten the time to market for the company.
The German subsidiary is currently adopting Henning Mankell's novel The Chinaman
.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
film and television production company founded by best-selling novelist Henning Mankell
Henning Mankell
Henning Mankell is a Swedish crime writer, children's author, leftist activist and dramatist, best known for a series of mystery novels starring his most famous creation, Inspector Kurt Wallander.-Life and career:...
and film-producers Ole Søndberg and Lars Björkman. The company was founded to produce films based on Mankell's Kurt Wallander
Kurt Wallander
Kurt Wallander is a fictional character created by Swedish crime writer Henning Mankell. The protagonist of several mystery novels, set in and around the town of Ystad, 60 km south-east of the city of Malmö, in the southern province of Skåne...
novels. Yellow Bird was sold to Danish media house Zodiak Entertainment in 2007. Today they specialize in adopting Scandinavian crime literature for cinemas and television.
Wallander
From 2005 to 2006 13 new stories starring Krister HenrikssonKrister Henriksson
Jan Krister Allan Henriksson is a Swedish actor. He is best known for playing Kurt Wallander in a series of television movies based on the novels by Henning Mankell.- Biography :...
as Kurt Wallander were produced. The first film is based on the Linda Wallander novel Before the Frost
Before the Frost
Before the Frost is a novel by Swedish crime-writer Henning Mankell.The main protagonist is Linda Wallander, daughter of Inspector Wallander...
and was released in cinemas. The rest of the films are original stories based on plots written by Mankell with scriptwriting completed by others. Two more were theatrical releases and the rest were released on DVD and shown on TV.
In 2008, a further 13 films were commissioned. Filming began in August 2008, and filming will continue, and releases begin, in 2009.
The first of these films, Hämnden (The Revenge), was a theatrical release on 9 January 2009, directed by award-winning Paris-based Franco-Swedish director Charlotte Brändström. The remaining 12 films will be released on DVD and then be broadcast on TV4 at a later date.
After filming is completed on the 2009 series, Henriksson will not play Wallander again, having only signed the new contract because he thought the 2005 series could have been better.
As a series, Mankell's Wallander has been nominated for The International TV Dagger at the 2009 Crime Thriller Awards, an awards ceremony presented by British television channel ITV3
ITV3
ITV3 is an entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom that is owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. The channel was launched on 1 November 2004. ITV3 is the second largest UK multi-channel, second only to ITV2.-History:...
and the Crime Writers' Association
Crime Writers' Association
The Crime Writers Association is a writers' association in the United Kingdom. Founded by John Creasey in 1953, it is currently chaired by Peter James and claims 450+ members....
.
Yellow Bird recently co-produced two English-language series series, starring Kenneth Branagh
Kenneth Branagh
Kenneth Charles Branagh is an actor and film director from Northern Ireland. He is best known for directing and starring in several film adaptations of William Shakespeare's plays including Henry V , Much Ado About Nothing , Hamlet Kenneth Charles Branagh is an actor and film director from...
as Wallander, with the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
broadcaster, the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
. Series 1 premiered in the UK in November 2008 and series 2 aired in January 2010.
The first series won several BAFTAs. Branagh’s portrayal won him the award for best actor at the 35th Broadcasting Press Guild Television and Radio Awards
Broadcasting Press Guild
The Broadcasting Press Guild is a British association of journalists who specialise in writing and broadcasting about television, radio and the media generally....
(2009).
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association
Hollywood Foreign Press Association
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association is an organization composed of working journalists who cover the United States film industry for a variety of outlets, including newspapers and magazines in Europe, Asia, Australia and Latin America. Today, the 90 members of the HFPA represent at least 55...
has nominated Branagh for the Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television for his performance in One Step Behind.
Stieg Larsson's Millennium books
Yellow Bird produced 3 films based on Stieg Larsson'sStieg Larsson
Karl Stig-Erland Larsson , who wrote professionally as Stieg Larsson, was a Swedish journalist and writer, born in Skelleftehamn outside Skellefteå. He is best known for writing the "Millennium series" of crime novels, which were published posthumously...
critically acclaimed Millennium trilogy. The Millennium books were originally intended to be released as one motion picture and two television mini-series, but popular demand and pressure from the Swedish Film Institute
Swedish Film Institute
The Swedish Film Institute was founded in 1963 to support and develop the Swedish film industry. The institute is housed in the Filmhuset building located in Gärdet, Östermalm in Stockholm...
, one of the main financiers behind the films, altered the original plans. The Millennium films have been sold to most European and many Latin American markets. The films will also see a US release.
Yellow Bird executive producer Sören Staermose confirmed in an interview with Swedish newspaper Expressen that negotiations are taking place to produce English language Millennium films. This would not be a US remake of the Swedish films but rather new Hollywood films based on the books. In the interview he states that the possible US films might be produced in a similar way as the Wallander TV series starring Kenneth Branagh, shooting in Sweden using English speaking actors. He also states that it is up to the director and says that the story could just as well take place in another country, like Canada.
On December 16, 2009 leading Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet
Svenska Dagbladet
Svenska Dagbladet is a daily newspaper in Sweden. The first issue appeared on 18 December 1884. Svenska Dagbladet is published in Stockholm and provides coverage of national and international news as well as local coverage of the Greater Stockholm region...
reported that Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc. is the television and film production/distribution unit of Japanese multinational technology and media conglomerate Sony...
are in final negotiating with Yellow Bird about the film rights according to Yellow Bird Managing Director Mikael Wallén. Steve Zaillian has been in discussions to adapt the first book.
Liza Marklund’s Annika Bengtzon series
The company has acquired film rights to six of best-selling author Liza MarklundLiza Marklund
Eva Elisabeth "Liza" Marklund is a Swedish journalist and crime writer. She was born in Pålmark near Piteå, Norrbotten. Her novels, most of which feature the fictional character Annika Bengtzon, a newspaper journalist, have been published in thirty languages...
’s books featuring the criminal reporter Annika Bengtzon. Plans to produce movies for the Scandinavian and international markets are currently underway for each of the six titles: Studio Sex, Prime Time, The Red Wolf, Nobel’s Last Will, Lifetime and A Place in the Sun.
Liza Marklund’s Annika Bengtzon series has a loyal following all over the world. The eight books have sold more than nine million copies internationally and have been translated into 30 languages. Liza Marklund is currently working on the ninth book in the series.
Filming is expected to start at the end of 2010 with an estimated budget of approximately SEK 100 million.
Other projects
Yellow Bird has also produced six TV movies about criminal inspector Irene Huss, based on the books by Helene TurstenHelene Tursten
Helene Tursten is a Swedish writer of crime fiction. The main character in her stories is Detective Inspector Irene Huss. Before becoming an author, Tursten worked as a nurse and then a dentist, but was forced to leave due to illness...
.
In March 2009 the company acquired the film rights for Norwegian crime writer Anne Holt
Anne Holt
-Career:She was born in Larvik, grew up in Lillestrøm and Tromsø, and moved to Oslo in 1978 where she lives today with her registered partner Anne Christine Kjær and their daughter Iohanne. Holt graduated with a law degree from the University of Bergen in 1986, and worked for The Norwegian...
's books about inspector Yngvar Stubø and Inger Johanne Vik – a psychologist and lawyer with a previous career in the FBI.
In April 2009 the company announced they optioned film rights to Norwegian author Jo Nesbø
Jo Nesbø
Jo Nesbø is an Edgar Award nominated Norwegian author and musician. As of September 2008 more than one and a half million copies of his novels have been sold in Norway, and his work has been translated into over forty languages....
's most recent novel Headhunters.
The company recently purchased the rights to Blekingegadeligan, the bestselling book by Danish journalist Peter Øvig Knudsen about The Blekinge Street Gang
The Blekinge Street Gang
The Blekinge Street Gang was a group of about a dozen communist political activists who during the 1970s and 80s committed a number of highly professional robberies in Denmark and sent the money to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine...
, a group of about a dozen communist political activists who during the 1970s and 80s committed a number of highly professional robberies in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and sent the money to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine is a Palestinian Marxist-Leninist organisation founded in 1967. It has consistently been the second-largest of the groups forming the Palestine Liberation Organization , the largest being Fatah...
. The series will consists of 8 episodes and shown on Danish channel DR1 in 2011.
Yellow Bird Germany
Yellow Bird recently produced a 2x90 German TV series based on the Henning Mankell novel Kennedy's BrainKennedy's Brain
Kennedy's Brain is a novel by Swedish writer Henning Mankell, that was originally published in the Swedish language in 2005. The English translation by Laurie Thompson was published in September, 2007....
. The series is made for broadcaster ARD.The leading role is played by the well known German actress Iris Berben. The series also stars the famous Swedish actors Michael Nyqvist and Rolf Lassgård.
In October 2008, Yellow Bird launched its new subsidiary “Yellow Bird Pictures”, based in Munich, Germany. The start up is a joint venture between Yellow Bird and producer Oliver Schündler. Yellow Bird Pictures will focus on cinema feature films and TV fiction for the German-speaking market. Initial productions will be based on rights that Yellow Bird already controls, which will shorten the time to market for the company.
The German subsidiary is currently adopting Henning Mankell's novel The Chinaman
The Chinaman (novel)
The Man from Beijing is a novel by Swedish writer Henning Mankell first published in Swedish in 2007 under the title Kinesen...
.