Iceland’s Sagafilm to Bring Hilma Novel to TV

The Icelandic production outfit Sagafilm has landed the rights to adapt the award-winning novel Hilma for television.

The story follows female investigator Hilma, who wakes up in a hospital brutally beaten and scarred on her face after working undercover, infiltrating a dangerous international criminal organization led by a man called Vladas. Upon her release, she begins investigating a string of cases previously ruled as accidents or suicides, all of which lead back to an event that occurred more than two decades before.

Hilma was awarded Blóðdropinn as the best Icelandic crime novel in 2016, the same year it was nominated for the Glass Key award as the best crime novel in the Nordics. It was written by Óskar Guðmundsson.

“Hilma captivated me as soon as I started reading the book,” said director and producer Ragnar Agnarsson from Sagafilm. “The character is very well thought out and is a great juxtaposition to the hard world of violence and crime. The world that Óskar has created is realistic and triggering but above all, it is exciting.”

“We are thrilled to bring this strong character to life in a true Nordic Noir fashion,” added Hilmar Sigurdsson, CEO of Sagafilm. “With Hilma, Óskar Guðmundsson delivers an atmospheric, page-turning and brilliantly constructed thriller.”

Guðmundsson commented: “Sagafilm shows both me and my novel great honor by committing to creating a TV series about Hilma. The character itself is very dear to me and I am certain that viewers will also be infatuated by Hilma, the powerful detective and her work.”