Latest series based on Jo Nesbo’s Detective Hole set to deliver ‘pretty shocking stuff’
As the production company behind it, Working Title, pivots away from romantic comedies into darker territory, the latest series based on Jo Nesbo’s Detective Hole is set to deliver “pretty shocking stuff”.
The latest series based on Jo Nesbo’s Detective Hole is set to deliver “pretty shocking stuff”.
It comes as the production company behind it, Working Title, pivots away from romantic comedies into darker territory.
The nine-episode Norwegian-language drama, based on Jo’s crime novels, follows detective Harry Hole – played by Tobias Santelmann – as he investigates a serial killer operating in Oslo while navigating corruption within his own police force.
Known for producing films such as Bridget Jones and Notting Hill, Working Title has developed the series over more than a decade, with Jo adapting his own books for the screen.
The project, initially considered as an English-language production, was ultimately created in Norwegian after Netflix intervened late in development, favouring a culturally specific approach.
Speaking to Variety, Working Title’s co-chair Eric Fellner described the tone of the series and its escalating intensity, saying: “There’s some pretty shocking stuff in it, but one person’s shocking is entertaining, another person’s shocking is depraved.”
Expanding on the direction of the series, Eric added: “I don’t want to give specifics but basically, as the show progresses, you start to go deeper and deeper into Nesbo world, and Nesbo world – I don’t really know how to describe it but it’s pretty tough and (has) pretty dark influences. Our characters have genuine human flaws and they are there for all to see and magnify, because it’s a TV show, and it gets really quite exciting.”
The executive also said: “It’s strong and it’s good because of that, in the same way people perceive the violence of Tarantino films; they love it. Because you’re in the hands of a proper storyteller (or with Tarantino, a proper director) and with Jo, he’s a proper storyteller.
“And the beauty of this series is it’s his version of his books. You get double Nesbo. You get the Nesbo who wrote the books and the Nesbo who created the TV show.”
Discussing the decision to begin with the fifth book in the Harry Hole series, Eric said: “This was the story that Jo really wanted to tell, and he felt it would be a great way to start what hopefully might be a number of series. So he’s taken a few bits and pieces from various other books, and then, if people like this and they want to invite us back for more, then we’ll find another one to do.”
He added: “(The number) five becomes a really critical thing in the show. He peppers these clues through Episodes 6, 7, 8, and hopefully you will have no f****** idea who the killer is. And you kind of go, ‘it’s that one!’ ‘Oh no, it must be that one’.”
