HBO Europe Greenlights Norwegian Original Wilderness

Adding to its growing Nordic slate, HBO Europe has greenlit the Norwegian original Wilderness (Utmark), created and written by Kim Fupz Aakeson (A Somewhat Gentle Man, In Order of Disappearance) and directed by Dagur Kári (Virgin Mountain, Dark Horse, The Good Heart).

The quirky comedic drama is set in a small Norwegian town a little north of the middle of nowhere. The cast of characters includes a corrupt sheriff, an alcoholic shepherd, a nature-loving bootlegger, a God-hating pastor, a grieving pimp and a brand-new optimistic school teacher who rolls into town hopeful for a fresh start.

Wilderness is produced by Finn Gjerdrum and Stein Kvae at Paradox and is an HBO Europe original production.

Hanne Palmquist, commissioning editor and VP of original programming at HBO Nordic, said: “Kim Fupz has created an original bunch of flawed yet wonderful characters living in a far-flung place where civilization is a choice rather than a given. Utmark is bold, at times totally hilarious—and human all the way. We’re really excited to be collaborating with a top-class combination of Nordic talent—Danish writer Kim Fupz Aakeson, Icelandic director Dagur Kari and the Norwegian team at Paradox—to bring this world to life.”

Antony Root, executive VP of programming and production at HBO Europe, added: “Wilderness draws you into its unique world from the very start, so wonderfully drawn are the characters and story from the imagination of Kim Fupz. The creative team perfectly reflects our ambition to work with the finest talent from the region on series that are authored, authentic and stand out from the crowd.”

Gjerdrum at Paradox said: “After a long and exciting journey, we are now looking forward to starting the production of Wilderness. HBO’s courage and desire to challenge the boundaries of storytelling is inspiring and a fantastic opportunity.”