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Norwegian star actor Kristofer Hivju (“Game of Thrones,” “Red One”, “Beck”) will play opposite Friday Hallgren (from Oscar-nominated “As It Is in Heaven”) in the upcoming Swedish-Croatian rom-com “True Love” (working
title).
Helmed by actor-turned writer, director and best-selling author Martina Haag, the SF Studios project, now in pre-production, will be pitched Aug. 26. at Haugesund’s Nordic Co-Production Market.
“True Love” marks Haag’s second collaboration with seasoned screenwriter Peter Arrhenius (“Clark,” “Welcome to Sweden,” “Beck”) after the seasoned actor’s directorial debut “Little Did I Know,” which landed a Best Film Award at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival in 2024 before turning into one of Sweden’s biggest box office draws of 2025.
As with ‘Little Did I know,” “True Love”’s starting point is deceit and divorce and how to bounce back when you’re over 50.
According to the logline, when Ellinor (played by Hallgren) is dumped by her husband after 20 years of marriage, she loses faith in life.
When she wins €40 million ($46 million) immediately after, she finds it even harder to trust anyone. But then she meets Henrik (Hivju). The latter grew up at the elite Lundsberg boarding school, where his mother worked as a cleaner. To fit in, he learned to lie, and became an irresistibly charming master of deception. Their relationship should never work, but what if they’re exactly what the other needs?
“As both main characters are flawed and a bit extreme in the beginning of the film, it was important for us to find great actors that are warm and relatable: Real people in exaggerated situations, that we want to be with and see get better,” said Hivju and Hallgren Haag.
They added: “Both Frida and Kristofer feel grounded and are capable of going from being extremely funny to super sensitive. And of course, the chemistry and dynamics between the actors is super important in a romantic comedy. If the spark isn’t there, it doesn’t matter how great the story is. We’re so happy to have Frida and Kristofer on board!”
Added SF Studios producer Helen Ahlsson: “Frida is a wonderfully warm and talented actress, and one audiences have taken to their hearts over the years. Kristofer has never really played a romantic lead before, which was perhaps a new challenge he was very keen to take on. In this film, you’ll discover a new Hivju like you’ve never seen before,” she enthusiastically shared with Variety.
Haag said catering for mature audiences came naturally. “I love stories about and for women – and men – over 50,” she said. “I really can’t understand why we don’t see more of them as a whole scope of relatable, life altering relationship questions appear after surviving Project Family and raising the kids. One being deceit and divorce – as in “Little Did I Know” – but also how to be able to trust and love again.”
“This story is about that,” she added. “Who we were, who we are, who we try to present ourself as, and who we really want to be. How can anyone dare to let their guard down and risk being hurt once again? We take that premise to the extreme in this film.”
Teaming up again with Arrhenius was a no-brainer.
“It is rare to find a writing partner that both has a skillset that completes your own and at the same time can respect and see your own strengths, like the yin and the yang,” she said, pointing out that “Peter is very interested in structure and serves up a lot of drastic jokes and situations, while I tend to focus on grounding these ideas in character and ”what would a real person do in this situation.”
“When that works, what you get is drastic, funny situations happening to characters that feels true. Real emotions without being kitchen-sink drama. We share that desire to both touch an audience, but in an entertaining way,” she observed.
Seasoned producer Ahlsson who’s worked mostly on dramas for film and TV – from Alicia Vikander’s Swedish debut “Pure” to Rojda Sekersöz’s upcoming “Will You Care if I Die” – said she couldn’t resist boarding her first rom-com after reading the script.
“It’s got the magic of British comedy hits such as “Bridget Jones’s Diary” or “Mamma Mia,” which balance believable, engaging characters with lightness, humor and emotions. It’s a tricky mix that you can’t take lightly,” she said.
Filming between Sweden-Stockholm, Dalecarlia-and Croatia is due to start Oct. 8, with delivery pencilled for fall 2027.
The feature is produced by Scandi giant SF Studios in co-production with Croatia’s Kinorama, SVT and NRK, with funding from the Swedish Film Institute, Film Stockholm, Film i Dalarna, and a Croatian tax rebate.
Ahlsson said she will discuss global sales at the New Nordic Films market unspooling Aug. 25-28 at Haugesund, Norway.
