Lionsgate Television Acquires U.S. Remake Rights to Swedish Series ‘Veni Vidi Vici’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Lionsgate Television has acquired the U.S. remake rights to “Veni Vidi Vici,” the hit Swedish comedy series about a struggling film director who decides to take a job in the adult entertainment industry and starts to live a double life
The 10-part show was created for Nordic Entertainment Group’s Viaplay streaming service and has been picked up in key territories, including in the U.S. by Hulu and in Australia by SBS. Co-writer, director and star Rafael Edholm is on board to help develop the U.S. adaptation.
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The remake is also being developed by Fredrik Lundberg for HandsUp STHLM, together with Kim Magnusson (“I Kill Giants”) and Madwood Studios’ Michael Flutie (“Westside”), for both the U.S. and international markets.
Nordic Entertainment (NENT) Group has a longstanding relationship with Lionsgate Television, as the U.S. company is handling the worldwide sales of NENT Group’s original productions “Swedish Dicks,” “Superswede” and “Cold Courage.”
Edholm said that the U.S. is where many things began for him. “I modeled for fashion mags, appeared in George Michael’s ‘Freedom’ video and started to write,” he said. “Having worked with Ingmar Bergman on ‘King Lear’ at the Royal Theater in Stockholm, I continued to develop my acting skills in New York. So after working in front of and behind the camera in Europe, I’m thrilled about going back to the U.S. with ‘Veni Vidi Vici.'”
“Veni Vidi Vici,” which premiered on Viaplay in 2017, is represented in international markets by NENT Group’s DRG and was selected for the 2017 MipDrama Screenings in Cannes. Award-winning actor Thomas Bo Larsen (“The Celebration”) plays the lead character, Danish director Karstan Daugaard, who soon faces the harsh realities of the porn industry and is forced into a double life that endangers his whole family.
“Nearly half of our originals have been sold internationally – and now we’re set for our very first remake,” said Jakob Mejlhede Andersen, executive vice president and head of content at NENT Group. He added: “A U.S. remake in partnership with Lionsgate is fantastic recognition of the ‘Veni Vidi Vici’ team’s talents, the vibrant Nordic creative scene and NENT Group’s unique storytelling capabilities.”
On Wednesday, NENT Group announced another original series, “The Ambassador,” a 10-part show about political intrigue that will be produced in three separate Scandinavian versions, in Swedish, Norwegian and Danish. Filming of the Swedish version has already begun, with an expected debut in 2020 on Viaplay.
Besides “Veni Vidi Vici,” other NENT Group originals have traveled well, notably “Alex,” which has been sold to broadcast and streaming partners in Europe, Asia and the U.S.; “Swedish Dicks,” which premiered on Pop TV in the U.S.; “Black Lake,” which aired on BBC Four and AMC Networks-backed Shudder; and the upcoming series “Honour,” which has been sold to Belgium’s VRT.
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