“A great honour,” says Kristofer Hivju about playing police investigator Ole Vik in the crime series Murder in Sogn. The TV2 series is based on Jørgen Jæger’s bestselling books, and filming started this week in Sogn.
Author Jørgen Jæger is Norway’s third best-selling crime writer, with over 1.7 million books sold. A total of 15 books has been published about police investigator Ole Vik and his colleague Cecilie Hopen, set in the fictional village of Fjellberghavn in Sogn. Now, the hugely popular book series is becoming a TV 2 crime drama, with star actor Kristofer Hivju in the lead role.
“It’s a great honour to play the iconic Ole Vik. Jørgen Jæger has written fantastic books, and we are excited to bring his universe to the TV screen,” says Hivju.
The idyll is starting to crumble
The plot of Murder in Sogn takes place deep within a fjord in Sogn, in a small fruit-growing village that appears to be paradise on earth. Here, 43-year-old Ole Vik runs the local police station. A merger of police districts threatens the station’s survival, but thanks to Ole’s determination, they have “survived” — for now.
The idyll of the small community is shattered when 25-year-old Cecilie Hopen (Eili Harboe) from Kripos catches wind of a criminal network and must go undercover as a police student on placement in the village. It quickly becomes clear that it’s not so easy to pose as a student at a threatened station deep in a fjord — especially when a suspicious death occurs in the village. Was it really an accident?
Ole and Cecilie are an unlikely pair, representing “two worlds” and opposite extremes. But when these extremes work together, they become an unbeatable duo.
Eili Harboe, who plays police investigator Cecilie Hopen, looks forward to portraying a character many already know from the books:
“It’s hugely exciting to embody a character that so many people feel strongly about. I hope we can help tell a story that sparks curiosity and gets viewers invested in the characters,” says Harboe.
From Book to Series
Murder in Sogn is produced by Nordisk Film Production for TV 2. Kristoffer Metcalfe is the series creator and director, with Kathrine Valen Zeiner on the writing team. Producer is Sigurd Mikal Karoliussen.
Director and series creator Kristoffer Metcalfe speaks of a strong collaboration with author Jørgen Jæger:
“Our starting point is Jørgen Jæger’s literary universe, and we have had great freedom from Jæger himself to adapt it from book to series. It’s inspiring to build on his strong, human crime stories, weaving them into our own universe and characters,” says Metcalfe.
TV 2’s program director, Trygve Rønningen, believes and hopes the new crime series will have wide appeal:
“Murder in Sogn is a series we have high expectations for. With quality actors, a stunning location that showcases Norway’s nature, and — not least — content based on Jørgen Jæger’s books, we have all the ingredients for success. It’s a character-driven crime drama with a strong emotional core and an engaging cast that will captivate audiences,” says Rønningen.
An Author’s Dream
Author Jørgen Jæger has been involved in the project from day one:
“This is an author’s dream. It’s a thrilling feeling, because a book is something completely different from a TV series. They are two different concepts. I’m very curious to see what my readers will think, and I’m really looking forward to the result,” says Jæger.
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