A recent issue of Film3Sixty magazine carries an interesting feature on two upcoming film adaptations of Norwegian crime author Jo Nesbø’s work.
These follow the phenomenal success of 2011’s Headhunters, adapted from Nesbø’s standalone novel of 2008, which was memorably described by Philip French of The Observer as moving ‘with the speed of a demented lemming heading for the cliff-edge of a fjord’.
Oslo-based director Magnus Martens has completed production on Jackpot (based on a Nesbø storyline), which is due for release on 10. August 2012. Martens says in the Film3Sixty piece that his adaptation channels the black comedy of the Coen brothers and films such as Fargo (a comparison I’ve heard from some viewers of Headhunters as well).
And acclaimed American director Martin Scorsese is adapting The Snowman, the seventh in the Harry Hole series, first published in 2007. This will be the first English-language adaptation of one of Nesbø’s books and is being made in conjunction with the British production company Working Title Films.
Nesbø will be appearing at the Theakstons Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate on 22 July (very exciting).
For a recent New York Times article on Nesbø, see here.
Mrs. Peabody Investigates 
Fascinating, thanks. I really enjoyed both Indridason films I’ve seen – Jar City based on his first book, and Reykjavik Rotterdam, which he scripted and is a funny crime film. I haven’t dared to see Headhunters as what I found funny in the book (esp the scatological bit) I imagine I would hate to actually see.
Thanks, Maxine. I haven’t seen either of those yet, so thanks for the recommendation.
I wasn’t at all sure about Headhunters when I saw the trailer, but have softened a little having read up on the reviews (it’s on my ‘maybe, if I’m in the right mood’ list). I’ve seen Fargo, and thought that a fine film, in spite of the violence, which is not usually my thing.