Prime Video Sets Premiere Date for ‘Paradis City' From ‘Snabba Cash' Scribe Jens Lapidus: ‘More Hell Than Paradise' (EXCLUSIVE)
The six-part series, due to launch March 7 exclusively on Prime Video, is being showcased as a works in progress today Jan. 29 at Göteborg's TV Drama Vision.
More from Variety
'House of David' Trailer: Biblical Story Springs to Life in Amazon Series
Amazon Orders Suburban Scandal Docuseries About a 15-Year-Old Suing His Public School for Spying
'Invincible' Season 3 Adds Nine to Cast, Including Jonathan Banks, Aaron Paul, Simu Liu, Tzi Ma
Produced by Lapidus' shingle Strive Studios, the show is to-lined by Alexander Abdallah ('Snabba Cash'), Julia Ragnasson ('Midsommar,' 'Blinded') and Sverrir Gudnason ('Falling,' 'Face to Face'). Fenar Ahmad ('Darkland') and Alain Darborg ('Red Dot') serve as directors.
Adapted for the small screen by head writer Björn Paqualin ('Occupied,' 'Thicker than Water') with Michaela Hamilton ('A Class Apart') and Oliver Dixon ('The Lawyer'), 'Paradis City' is set in the near future.
The polarization of Swedish society has reached unprecedented levels and prison-like walls are separating privileged citizens from vulnerable and supposedly dangerous zones, governed by special laws. When the Home Secretary is abducted by masked men at a rally in one of the largest 'no-go' zones, Paradis City, special agents Fredrika (Ragnarsson) enlists Emir (Abdallah), an ex-MMA fighter facing life in prison to find the politician, otherwise he might risk losing a chance to see his daughter again.
'It's more Hell City than Paradise City,' says Lapidus about his dystopian universe where only viewers can decide who are the good or bad guys on each side of the walls. 'The titles of my novels have different interpretations, but this is obviously ironic,' continues the high-profile Swedish novelist and former criminal defence lawyer, whose 'Snabba Cash' Stockholm noir trilogy turned into global hits in libraries and on small and silver screens. The Netflix reboot, co-created by Lapidus, also put Abdallah's name on the list of talent to watch.
But what made the best-selling crime writer break away from his distinctively realistic vision of Stockholm's underworld to tap into sci-fi?
'Well I had moved to Mallorca, Spain in 2017, and quit my job as a lawyer to fully focus on writing,' Lapidus tells Variety. 'Listening to and reading the news about Sweden from afar, I started to see a country wrecked by gang violence. That's when I got the idea to draw a Sweden seen from a distance, not geographical but in time. I started thinking-what would happen if this violence and criminality were getting out of control? What would be the nightmare scenario? Well that nightmare scenario would be a society unable to protect itself and suddenly forced to build gigantic walls to fence off the 'dangerous' people.'
For Lapidus, his dystopian vision of Sweden is not that far from reality. 'Stockholm is among the most segregated cities in Europe, therefore the walls in 'Paradis City' are an extrapolation, a metaphorical depiction of what already exists,' he observes.Turning to the TV show that he executive produced, Lapidus says the key questions it asks and he hopes the audience will reflect upon, are 'how do western democracies deal with polarization in society? Does the end justify the means?'
Producer Niklas Wikström Nicasto, a partner in Strive Studios, says the show 'is structured almost like a feature, with a fast pace. It literally follows the novel, although of course, story-wise we've made changes.'With the 1981 John Carpenter movie 'Escape from New York' starring Kurt Russell as one of the points of reference, the creatives made sure the tone, style and characterisation would be broadened. Comparing the characters in the series to Frodo in 'The Lord of the Rings' who comes across the Dwarves and Elves in Middle-earth, the author says his protagonists also go on a journey. 'In the show, you cross different groups, different worlds. This gives you a broader understanding of society,' Lapidus notes.
Casting-wise, enrolling Alexander Abdallah to play the charismatic and fierceful Emir was an obvious choice, but finding the right actress to play special agent Fredrika was a long and winding process. 'Julia got the part only three weeks before shooting. It was crazy. But we're so happy with our choice. Both Alexander and Julia are among the most talented of their generation,' says Nicastro.
Originally ordered by Viaplay, the series ended up with Prime Video when the Nordic streamer hit financial trouble and decided to sell off rights to bring in extra cash . 'Amazon Prime came in during production. They've been super enthusiastic from day one, and our collaboration went very smoothly,' said the producer who is hoping for the brand to carry on. 'The novel is a closed story, but our show has strong returnable potential,' he claims.
Commenting on 'Paradis City,' Karin Lindström, head of originals at Nordic Amazon MGM Studios/Prime Video, said: 'We are always on the lookout for established, impactful IP with strong local relevance for our scripted titles. Jens Lapidus' book immediately stood out to us, not only because of its compelling narrative but also due to his close collaboration with the production team and alignment with the producers' vision for engaging the audience with this story.'
'Paradis City' was part of a package of nine scripted originals acquired from Viaplay in February 2024 by the U.S. global streamer, as part of its commitment to the Nordic region, which remains as strong as ever as Lindström told Variety: 'We aim to offer a diverse mix of local scripted and unscripted titles that not only drive new Prime subscriptions but also encourage members to return regularly, creating a true one stop entertainment destination.
Our strategy has proven successful in blending international and local content to achieve this goal,' she said. 'While the exact number of titles varies depending on their potential impact, for 2025 we plan to launch six scripted and 14 unscripted titles across Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. Looking ahead, we have no intention of scaling back and remain committed to delivering a strong and engaging lineup.'
Best of Variety
What's Coming to Netflix in February 2025
New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
What's Coming to Disney+ in February 2025
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘The Last of Us' Video Game Scripts to Be Released in New Book From Creator Naughty Dog, Dark Horse (EXCLUSIVE)
PlayStation-owned video game developer Naughty Dog and Dark Horse Books are teaming up to release a new hardcover book featuring the award-winning scripts for 'The Last of Us' video game franchise. Titled 'The Last of Us: Part I and Part II Scripts,' the book will feature the scripts for the first two games, released in 2013 and 2020, respectively, as well as the 2014 standalone expansion 'Left Behind.' The first game and 'Left Behind' were written by Naughty Dog studio chief and head of creative Neil Druckmann (who co-created HBO's 'The Last of Us' adaptation with Craig Mazin), while 'The Last of Us Part II' was written by Druckmann and screenwriter Halley Gross ('Westworld'). More from Variety 'The Last of Us' Star Bella Ramsey on If They're In Season 3, Neil Druckmann's Departure and Making Emmy History HBO Max Boss Casey Bloys on 'The Penguin' Season 2, What's Next for 'The Last of Us' and If He'd Ride a Plane Piloted By Nathan Fielder 'Last of Us' Shocker: Neil Druckmann Exits HBO Series Ahead of Season 3 The Last of Us: Part I and Part II Scripts Buy Now On Amazon $69.99 $69.99 Per Naughty Dog and Dark Horse, 'Relive every climactic moment in 'The Last of Us: Part I and Part II Scripts,' from Joel and Ellie's time with Tess in Boston, to Ellie's joy while petting giraffes, to Joel's heart-wrenching decision at the Fireflies' hospital in 'The Last of Us Part I.' Then, dive into 'The Last of Us Part II's' dual-perspective story, including Abby's shocking introduction, Ellie and Dina forging a bond together, an enthralling encounter with the Rat King, and the final showdown between Ellie and Abby.' The 618-pages, 8' x 11' hardcover book will also feature a foreword written by Joel voice actor Troy Baker, an art gallery with work by developer Naughty Dog's principal character concept artist Hyoung Nam, as well as a buckram-textured cover with new art and block printing along the pages' edges 'that evokes the franchise's iconic Cordyceps fungus.' 'The Last of Us: Part I and Part II Scripts' will be released in bookstores Dec. 16 and comic shops on Dec. 17. The book is available for pre-order now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and local comic shops and bookstores for $54.99. 'At its beginning, 'The Last of Us' was a series of philosophical themes — grief, unconditional love, the relentless pursuit of justice — waiting to be shaped into a story,' Druckmann said. 'These scripts, written during the games' development, were meant to guide our team as we brought that world to life. They were never intended for public view — until now. For the first time, we're sharing them with you — hoping this rare glimpse brings you even closer to the heart of Joel, Ellie, Abby, and the world they inhabit.' Gross added: 'Neil and I had the honor of leading this story, but the truth is, it only exists because of the remarkable team at Naughty Dog. Every moment was built by people who bring their full hearts and talent to the table. This compilation is a tribute to the studio and a celebration of what's possible when we create together.' See a first-look at the cover for 'The Last of Us: Part I and Part II Scripts' below. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Disney+ in August 2025 What's Coming to Netflix in August 2025
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Joe Pantoliano May Finally Get HBO, Thanks to ‘The Last of Us' Creator Craig Mazin: ‘They Never Gave It to Me When I Did The Sopranos!'
It's Not TV, so maybe that's why Joey Pants can't get his HBO? 'The Last of Us' Season 2 guest star Joe Pantoliano had previously told Variety he doesn't subscribe to the pay cabler, which is why he wasn't familiar with the series when he was approached to pay the role of Eugene. As of this weekend, he still doesn't have an HBO subscription — but now 'The Last of Us' creator Craig Mazin plans to do something about it. 'I say ignorance is bliss. I don't have HBO. I hope nobody from HBO is here,' quipped Pantoliano, speaking during 'The Last of Us' panel at the Television Academy's Televerse festival on Saturday. HBO organized the panel, so of course they were there! More from Variety Kristen Bell on Why Audiences Swoon Over That First 'Nobody Wants This' Kiss: 'Comfort Can Be Incredibly Passionate' 'The Last of Us' Star Bella Ramsey on If They're In Season 3, Neil Druckmann's Departure and Making Emmy History 'The Last of Us' Video Game Scripts to Be Released in New Book From Creator Naughty Dog, Dark Horse (EXCLUSIVE) It was unclear if Mazin had heard this anecdote before, but he appeared to be incredulous at the news: 'You don't have HBO?! We can get you HBO!' Responded Pantoliano: 'I've been sulking for the last 25 years because they never gave it to me when I did 'The Sopranos'!' Pantoliano, of course, played Ralph 'Ralphie' Cifaretto in Seasons 3 and 4 of 'The Sopranos' until, well, he runs afoul of Tony. 'You're saying they wouldn't give Ralphie HBO?' Mazin said on stage. 'That's fucked up!' 'The Last of Us' executive producer — and video game creator — Neil Druckmann had another solution for Pantoliano, who admitted that he also never played the game: 'We're gonna get you a PlayStation before you get HBO.' Pantoliano appears in the Season 2, Episode 6 flashback episode, where viewers learn what created a rift between Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey). Pantoliano's character Eugene is the husband to town psychologist Gail (Catherine O'Hara). While on Ellie's first patrol, she and Joel find whoEugene, who's just been bitten by an infected and will succumb to the cordyceps fungus shortly. He begs Joel and Ellie to take him to the outer walls so he can have a last moment with Gail. Joel says no, but Ellie convinces Joel to break the rules to bring him back. But when Ellie goes off to retrieve her and Joel's horses, Joel — who had promised not to shoot Eugene — does so anyway. 'So Greg and Neil, we had a phone conversation, and they sent me two of the scripts, and then I read my scenes, and I remember thinking that there was more to this character and much more of a challenge for an actor than the last 20 years I've been in show business,' Pantoliano said. 'There was so much there to to test me. And then, the simple stuff of 'who am I? Where and I?' What spoke to me the most is the human element of like, 'this could happen toanyone.' It's happening every day. People die, and see their life in a blink of an eye. I woke up, I had coffee with my wife, I went on patrol and then I got bit, and I know I have to die. I have a last request. And so it was very emotional. But I gotta say, Neil [Druckmann] beat the shit out of me, and he knew what he wanted.' Added Druckmann, who directed that episode: 'Joey was so fun to work with, because as long as we had ideas, we kept exploring and digging and finding. And it was such a joy to find the character in the moment. Because initially, the way it was written, there was some comic relief lines in there that were just excised in the moment. It didn't work the way you were playing it.' As for what's to come in Season 3 as Kaitlyn Dever (who plays Abby) moves into more of a lead role, Dever said that 'we're getting to the real core of Abby in this season, and really giving her some context. Because in the game, she does sort of appear, and you don't know who she is, where she's coming from, why she killed Joel. I feel like we're really getting to the core of the why, and her grief is what fuels that rage. I have not been told with what we're doing for Season 3… I'm just so grateful to be a part of such a beautiful show. I've been such a fan of the game for so long. I played it twice all the way through with my dad. He's a big fan girl over this game. So I'm just grateful to get to continue that journey for Abby and dig even deeper to twhat drives her and just how broken she is. Maybe she's not all that different from the other human beings in the show.' Hinted Mazin: 'Knowing that I've got this pillar in Kaitlyn that is going to anchor this cast, and knowing that I can turn again to [production designer] Don [MacAulay] to build this physical world around us, and it is going to be quite ambitious. We've had meetings already, he knows, and [VFX producer] Alex [Wang] is going to extend those beyond and there's creature work. If you play the game, you know there's something coming. We've done a lot of talk about basements, that's all I'll say.' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Disney+ in August 2025 What's Coming to Netflix in August 2025 Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘Weapons' Director Zach Cregger on David Fincher's Advice, Sequel Plans and What His ‘Resident Evil' Movie Will Look Like
SPOILER ALERT: This article contains minor spoilers about 'Weapons,' now playing in theaters. Director Zach Cregger's sophomore feature, 'Weapons,' is a story about a small town overtaken by a malevolent force. One night, all of the kids from a specific classroom run away, and the townspeople become increasingly furious that the police have no leads. The narrative follows several locals — including troubled teacher Justine (Julia Garner), whose class went missing; Paul, a cop (Alden Ehrenreich); Archer (Josh Brolin), whose son is one of the missing kids; and a young burglar (Austin Abrams) — as they get pulled into the central mystery. More from Variety Box Office: 'Weapons' Makes $5.7 Million in Previews, 'Freakier Friday' Has $3.1 Million New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Box Office: 'Freakier Friday' and 'Weapons' Battle for First Place Over 'Fantastic Four' Although he was unable to talk about any specific spoilers at the end of the film, Cregger broke down many key elements in 'Weapons,' Including the film's use of humor, gore and that surreal moment with the floating assault weapon. I think the idea for the structure came very early on. I knew once I got out of the cold open and started with Justine that she was not going to be the only perspective of this story. I was pretty instantly excited about the idea of having a novelistic structure where we follow different protagonists, but I wanted to set a rule for myself that I would never go back. Once I moved on, their chapter was done. If I could hold fast to that, the movie would be better for it, and it was not an easy thing for me to do, but for better or worse, I committed to that structure. And that's not really the structure that 'Magnolia' follows. 'Magnolia' is more of a reference point for me because of the scale and the tone of it. And John C. Reilly's mustache is in my movie on Alden's face. Honestly, there's something about the John C. Reilly stuff where he loses the gun and he's searching for it in the rain that felt like a North Star. Just the vibe of that, I want to live in that, so I wanted to write a movie that feels like it's moving in that direction. No. I mean, it doesn't work that way. Somebody dies, and you're gonna feel that absence for the rest of your life. Maybe the sting can kind of lessen, but I don't know if that's time or community or what. I don't think making this movie has exorcised any demons. It's just given me an opportunity to engage with those feelings in a healthy, constructive way. Rather than going and drinking myself to death, I'm able to write a character that drinks herself into a problem. I can take my anger and have Josh Brolin freak out, and that's better than me freaking out. I don't know. It's a very important moment for me in this movie, and to be frank with you, I think what I love about it so much is that I don't understand it. I have a few different ideas of what it might be there for, but I don't have the right answer. I like the idea that everyone is probably going to have their own kind of interaction or their own relationship with that scene, whether they don't give a shit about it and it's boring, or whether they think it's some sort of political statement, or whether they think it's just cool. I don't really care. It's not up to me. I just like that it's there. You have to just let them come organically to the situation that you're writing and not try to inject anything funny into the movie. There are a couple of jokes I wrote into the movie where I thought I was being clever, and they're all on the cutting room floor. The rule I've learned for myself is to let the situation dictate the humor. Let the movie ask me for the humor, don't try to put it in. Be in service of the story, don't try to be clever. I got everything. I mean, it's not that grisly. I guess I could thank 'Terrifier 3' for coming out and totally raping everybody's eyes so that anything I'm going to do is going to feel PG. Yeah, but I'm still working on that because I tried it in 'Barbarian' and I didn't get it right, and I'm trying it in 'Weapons.' I didn't quite get it, but one day I'm going to get that 'Irreversible' fire extinguisher head smash. That's my white whale. I've got to try it again. He's just a very helpful guy. He was available to me during prep, and then he was very available during the post process. He watched the movie and had a lot of really constructive thoughts and gave me a ton of ideas. He helped me learn more about the editing process and how to think about it in a new way that wasn't available to me when I was making 'Barbarian.' So he just opened my mind up a lot. There are things I thought I had to just settle for. I thought, 'Well, that's the take I have. That's the best take. And it's not perfect, but by God, nothing is.' Dave's attitude is, 'It can always be better, and there are a lot of tools that you have at your disposal that you might not be thinking about.' So, from reframing to stabilization to ADR to all sorts of things, it was really cool. Honestly, I learned a lot about how to prep, what lenses to use. I shot this mostly anamorphic, and I didn't quite respect how limiting anamorphic is in the post process. So stuff like that, technical stuff. I've seen their work, so I know what tones they can take. I know Josh can be really funny and really serious — I've seen 'No Country for Old Men,' and I've seen 'Hail, Caesar!' I know what he can do. Julia in 'The Assistant' … I watched that and thought, 'This is what I need. This is amazing.' She's amazing, but that movie tipped the scales for me. Alden, I've been a massive fan since I saw 'Hail, Caesar!' Austin Abrams is a miracle, and I woke up to him when I saw 'Brad's Status,' which is a Mike White movie that he was in. I was like, 'Who is this kid that has total courage in this movie, and he does nothing, and it just rocks?' And then Amy Madigan, I'm a huge fan. I got to collect people that I've always loved watching. Definitely. I've actually … it's funny you asked that. I can't help it: I have another idea for something in this world that I'm kind of excited about. I'm not going to do it next, and I probably won't do it after my next movie, but I do have one and I'd like to see it on the screen one day. Those games pioneered something special. The pacing of those games is so unique and effective, and just being locked in with one character moving from point A to point B, knowing you're going to pass through this gauntlet of terror, and you've got to be methodical and thoughtful about it. That's cool. That's cinematic. So I want to tell the story in the world of the games that honors the lore of the games, but it's a new story. Best of Variety 'Blue Velvet,' 'Chinatown' and 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' Arrive on 4K in June All the Godzilla Movies Ranked 'House of the Dragon': Every Character and What You Need to Know About the 'Game of Thrones' Prequel Solve the daily Crossword
