The highest-grossing film Norwegian film of all time is now the basis for a new HBO drama. Headhunters, based on a 2008 Jo Nesbø novel that was later turned into an excellent (and rather twisted) thriller-comedy by director Morten Tyldum in 2011, is now in development to become an hour-long series on the cable network.
Originally, Summit Entertainment was going to remake the Norwegian thriller into an English-language version that had Mark Wahlberg attached and Sacha Gervasi (Anvil! The Story of Anvil) set to direct. However, when Lionsgate bought Summit, they decided to bring the story to cable rather than to the big screen. Alexander Woo (True Blood) will executive produce the series and write the pilot for producer Carolyn Strauss.
Headhunters is a macabre cat-and-mouse game between art thief and corporate headhunter Roger Brown and wealthy tech businessman Clas Greve, who owns a priceless Rubens painting. The film starred Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who has an HBO connection with his role as Jaime Lannister on Game of Thrones. There’s no word yet on if he’ll reprise his role though.
Author Jo Nesbø, one of the most successful Scandinavian crime novelists, has many of his bestsellers currently floating around Hollywood. Warner Bros. and Leonardo DiCaprio are in talks to adapt his novel Blood on the Snow for the big screen and Universal is currently looking for someone to direct a remake of Nesbø’s The Snowman for English audiences.
For those unfamiliar with the twisty, violent 2011 film, the trailer is below. For those who are familiar, are you happy that Headhunters is turning into a cable show or would you have been more excited for another film adaptation?