Anna-Klara Carlsten to produce John Ajvide Lindqvist novel adaptation

Anna-Klara Carlsten

Anna-Klara Carlsten

Media Res International has hired the producer of Netflix original Tore, Anna-Klara Carlsten, to lead its Nordic slate.  

Carlsten will spearhead the company’s Nordic push and reports into former Banijay exec and Media Res’s head of international, Lars Blomgren. 

As a producer at the international arm of the indie behind The Morning Show, one of her first projects will be a 6 x 45-minute series called Summer Of 1985, based on the novel by Scandinavian author John Ajvide Lindqvist.  

SVT is on board as the lead broadcaster and co-creator of The Bridge Björn Stein will direct the series, which centres on a group of friends who discover a mythical creature.  

Production will start later this year with Melina Maraki and Amy Deasismont writing and the latter also co-directing. Executive producers are Blomgren and Lindqvist, whose previous novels have been adapted in Tomas Alfredson’s Let the Right One In and Matt Reeve’s Let Me In. 

Carlsten has previously produced both series of Viaplay’s Thunder in My Heart, as well as feature films Exodus and Spring Uje Spring.   

She said: “Our focus will be on producing high-quality, internationally-oriented scripted content under the umbrella of this highly respected production studio.  

“Summer of 1985 perfectly encapsulates what I want to bring to the party: exceptional emerging talents like Amy and Melina combined with Lindqvist’s captivating novel, Björn’s daring direction and storytelling expertise, and of course, Lars Blomgren’s steady hand.” 

Blomgren added: “Anna-Klara is one of the most in-demand producers in the Nordics and I am delighted we have brought her to Media Res International.  

“We have great ambition to emulate the quality of the work of our colleagues in the US studio but with a distinctly international feel; exploring multi-faceted stories from across the UK, Europe and beyond.

“We look forward to sharing news about the upcoming slate of projects set up with major broadcasters and streamers.” 

Carlsten’s appointment is the latest expansion outside of the US for Media Res, which hired Blomgren in late 2022.

The company is behind an adaptation of Swedish classic, The Brothers Lionheart, while its slate also includes shows such as Apple TV+ drama duo Pachinko and The Morning Show, and Prime Video’s I’m a Virgo.