SkyShowtime, the European streaming joint venture of Paramount and Sky owner Comcast, has started production on its latest original series. The eight-part Swedish crime drama with the working title National Homicide Unit (Riksmord) is inspired by real investigations and stars Pernilla August (Blackwater, Star Wars: Episode I, Star Wars: Episode II), Jonas Karlsson (Riding in Darkness, Beck), Nina Zanjani (Hamilton, Beck), and Alexander Abdallah (Easy Money, Paradise City).
“Within the Swedish police force, there is a small but elite group consisting of the finest homicide investigators in the country, ready at all times to deploy nationwide whenever and wherever their expertise is needed,” reads a synopsis of the series. And yes, the members of this group assisting local police forces in the country’s most complex murder cases are known as Riksmord, or the National Homicide Unit.
“Set against Sweden’s vast and striking landscapes, each [two-episode] investigation offers a window into the many layers of Swedish society, revealing its beauty, contradictions, and darkest secrets,” said SkyShowtime. Shooting on the show has started in the Helsingborg area of Sweden. The show will showcase different “visually rich” regions of the country, “ranging from Sweden’s mighty forests to its picturesque coastline, with shooting to take place in several locations, including Helsingborg, Höganäs, Luleå and Borlänge.”
August stars as Ing-Britt “Ib” Larsson, Karlsson as Ulf Lindholm, Zanjani as Franka Durand, and Abdallah as Vincent Kisel. The series s produced by Warner Bros. International Television Production Sweden, in co-production with SkyShowtime, TV4, Film i Skåne, Film i Dalarna and Filmpool Nord.
The series, produced by Warner Bros. International Television Production Sweden, in co-production with SkyShowtime, TV4, Film i Skåne, Film i Dalarna and Filmpool Nord, was created by Gunnar A.K. Järvstad (Garden Lane, Orca), who has also written six of the eight episodes. The two other episodes are written by Axel Stjärne. Conceptual director Olof Spaak (Those Who Kill, The Thin Blue Line) directs six episodes, with Caroline Ingvarsson (Unmoored) directing two. The series is produced by Sofie Palage and Niklas C. Siöström, with Johan Hedman as executive producer.
National Homicide Unit (Riksmord) is “an exciting addition to our growing slate of SkyShowtime originals,” said Kai Finke, SkyShowtime’s chief content officer. “The series combines gripping suspense with stunning, familiar Swedish locations and authentic police work to deliver a crime drama that is as captivating as it is believable.”
He added: “Joining our existing Swedish original titles such as the crime thriller Veronika, the comedy drama Where the Sun Always Shines (Där solen alltid skiner), and the upcoming The Trio (Trion), we’re thrilled to continue our collaborative approach, working closely with local creatives to bring powerful, original storytelling to life.”
Said Palage: “Just like the series follows a traveling police unit, the team and cast behind the series will be travelling to Skåne, Norrbotten and Dalarna to film the various cases, and it feels so exciting that we’re now underway with our first leg! Our vision is to create a crime drama that is thrilling, visually rich and credible – while also moving the audience.”
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