‘Stolen Girl’ US premiere

The action-thriller Stolen Girl, directed by James Kent, is inspired by true events and follows the harrowing journey of a mother whose young daughter is abducted and taken overseas by her estranged ex-husband.

Kate Beckinsale plays Maureen Danning, a woman who spends years searching for her daughter, Amina, before teaming up with a specialist in child retrieval. Their mission leads them into dangerous territory in the Middle East, raising both moral and legal dilemmas as Maureen edges closer to a long-awaited reunion.

The film also stars Scott Eastwood, Matt Craven, Ana Golja, and Arvin Kananian.

Stolen Girl has seen its US theatrical premiere and will expand to other regions this fall.

Trailer release for ‘7 steg’

Swedish pop icon Veronica Maggio and director Andreas Öhman has teamed up to create the upcoming romantic drama 7 steg. Not only does Maggio make her feature film acting debut in the project, but she also co-wrote the screenplay alongside Öhman, marking a new creative chapter for both artists.

Maggio plays the lead role of Elle, opposite Joel Spira, who stars as Josef.

The story is built around the idea that love moves through seven distinct emotional stages. After an intense year of romance, travel, and emotional highs, Elle suddenly disappears. Josef, left behind, digs into their past to try to understand what happened to her.

7 steg is set to premiere in Swedish cinemas on October 17, 2025.

‘Harvest Child’ published in Sweden

A dead infant. A missing woman. A secret that reaches far beyond Haparanda.

After a year of mourning, Hannah Wester returns to work and is immediately drawn into the investigation of a dead infant found at the old cholera cemetery outside Salmis. Who is the mother, and where has she gone?

The assassin Katja has recently been assigned only minor tasks. Now, she’s sent back to Haparanda on a far more serious mission: to track down two heavily pregnant young women who have escaped from the Farm.

A young politician appears on live TV, opening up about his and his wife’s struggle with involuntary childlessness. But during the broadcast, he makes a surprising announcement—they’re expecting a child. That same night, he receives a phone call. A woman, speaking in broken English, threatens to expose the true identity of the baby’s carrier.

The events unfolding in Haparanda weave a chilling web between Russian organized crime and the highest levels of power in Stockholm, uncovering a dark story of human trafficking and the surrogacy trade.

Harvest Child is the second installment in Hans Rosenfeldt’s international bestselling Haparanda series.

 

New title: ‘The Night Voyager’

Jenny goes missing without a trace, after a night out in the northern Norwegian fjord town of Harstad. Her younger brother Jakk is quickly arrested and suspected of murder. Appearing delirious and unable to account for himself, the boy is sent to Åsgård psychiatric hospital whilst Jenny’s disappearance remains a mystery.

Nineteen months later, police officer Anne-May Anger receives notice that Jakk has set off several fires in the institution and managed to escape in the ensuing chaos. He’s been diagnosed with schizophrenia and is considered dangerous.

The trawler M/S Kobbetjønna is meanwhile being readied for the final winter fishing trip of the year, with a new recruit joining the crew. Strange accidents soon begin to occur on board, and once they have left the fjords behind, a violent storm is brewing both at sea and inside Jakk’s mind.

The Night Voyager is a haunting thriller about the darkness and vulnerability of humanity from Riverton prize-winner Heine Bakkeid; an eerie and intricate crime novel with the dramatic nature of northern Norway as backdrop.

‘Diamonds and Rust’ published in Norway

It’s high summer in Scandinavia. Hanne Wilhelmsen finds herself, much against her will, at her family’s newly purchased, stately summer cabin by Viksfjord in Vestfold. Summer guests come and go, and one high pressure after another sweeps over southern Norway. Everything is pure idyll. For everyone except Hanne.

Two years have passed without Hanne participating in any investigations, and the police chief himself has banned her from being involved in new ones. The idleness is getting on the nerves of both Hanne and her family. But then an elderly woman is found dead, naked in a bathtub, deep in Maridalen in Oslo. The deceased turns out to be an acquaintance of the Wilhelmsen’s cabin neighbor, the shy crime author Kristine Hoff. To escape a cabin full of parties and guests, Hanne quickly seeks refuge in Kristine’s cool, shady garden. A strange friendship develops, and Hanne Wilhelmsen is once again to prove that she surpasses most when it comes to digging up old secrets and solving new crimes.

Diamonds and Rust is a story about wounds that never heal, about envy, betrayal and revenge, and about a crime so well and thoroughly thought out that it may never be solved. Not unless Hanne Wilhelmsen gets a chance to try.

‘The Last Case’ published in Norway

One day in October, William Wisting is informed that Erik Kaplin is being released. Kaplin has served 18 years for murder and has drawn up a death list of those he holds responsible for his conviction. At the top of that list is Wisting’s name.

At the same time, Wisting is given responsibility for his grandchild, as his daughter Line travels to South Africa to create a podcast about a little-known chapter in the past of Adrian Stiller, the new head of the Cold Case Unit at Kripos. His high school sweetheart, Julia Delcourt, vanished many years ago without a trace. Line wants to revisit the story to understand what really happened, and to learn what drives Stiller to devote his life to solving cold cases.

As Wisting tries to maintain a normal life while looking after his grandchild, his former boss suddenly dies. What initially appears to be a natural death turns out to have links to an old missing person case — one that now lies on Stiller’s desk.

As secrets come to light, new and old threads begin to intertwine. And at the center of it all stands Wisting, burdened with a responsibility he never asked for, but cannot walk away from.

The Last Case is the eighteenth installment in Jørn Lier Horst’s William Wisting series.

Photo: Anders Nicander

New SVT drama thriller ‘Försvararna’

Försvararna is based on an original idea by author Jens Lapidus and follows two friends who run a successful law firm together. The lead roles, Kalle and Sasha, are played by Arvin Kananian and Björn Bengtsson.

The story kicks off when Sasha becomes personally involved in a rape case, and Kalle takes on one of the most high-profile organized crime cases in modern times, shaking both their worlds to the core.

Ken Ring and Simon Superti will make their acting debuts in Försvararna. The artists will portray gang leaders Amir and Omar.

The weekly Swedish bestseller lists

This week, the newly published From Björn Natthiko Lindeblad. With an Open Hand, written by Caroline Bankler and based on a thoughtful selection of Björn’s texts, talks, and reflections, claims the No. 1 spot in the non-fiction category. The Smuggler Mystery, Martin Widmark’s latest installment in the LasseMaja series, dominates the children’s list at No. 1. In the paperback category, Simona Ahrnstedt’s Charlies Revenge, debuts at No. 4.

Anders Hazelius Photo: Anders Hazelius

New Swedish TV Drama ‘Trion’

SkyShowtime is preparing a major drama adaptation of Johanna Hedman’s debut novel Trion. The series will centre around Thora, a wealthy young woman, and her boyfriend August, as their lives intersect with Hugo, an older acquaintance who becomes an unexpected houseguest in Thora’s family home.

Among the lead cast are Rebecka Harper, August Wittgenstein and Felix Sandman.

Filming is already underway, with Veronica Zacco penning the script and Anders Hazelius directing.

‘Diary of a Ditched Girl’ to premiere on Netflix

The Swedish rom-com Diary of a Ditched Girl is set to premiere globally on Netflix on September 11, and has already been met with rave reviews.

Adapted from Amanda Romare’s popular novel Halva Malmö består av killar som dumpat mig, the series follows Amanda, a 31-year-old girl navigating through a labyrinth of first-date flops, heartaches, and app-fueled romances as she tries to figure out why love seems so elusive in the modern dating world.

The series is directed by Emma Bucht and Susanne Thorson, with Tove Eriksen Hillblom and Moa Herngren as screenwriters.

Carla Sehn leads the ensemble as Amanda, and the supporting cast features Moah Madsen, Dilan Apak, Malou Marnfeldt, Zahraa Aldoujaili, Ingela Olsson och Torkel Petersson.