ACCLAIMED NOVEL BECOMES A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES

The popular novel The Chestnut Man from the acclaimed creator and writer of The Killing, Søren Sveistrup becomes a new Danish Netflix Original.

-- Copenhagen, August 19, 2019 -- Earlier today Netflix announced its second Danish original series, The Chestnut Man, at Copenhagen TV Festival. The Chestnut Man is based on the debut novel by award winning writer Søren Sveistrup (The Killing) and the series will debut exclusively on Netflix worldwide. Production is slated to begin in Denmark in 2020 with the executive production team SAM Productions, who is also behind the coming Norwegian Netflix original series Ragnarok.

The Chestnut Man is set in the quiet suburb of Copenhagen, where the police make a terrible discovery one blustery October morning. A young woman is found brutally murdered in a playground and one of her hands is missing. Above her hangs a small man made of chestnuts. The ambitious young detective Naia Thulin is assigned to the case, along with her new partner, Mark Hess. They soon discover a mysterious piece of evidence on the chestnut man - evidence connecting it to a girl who went missing a year earlier and was presumed dead - the daughter of politician Rosa Hartung.

Søren Sveistrup, author of The Chestnut Man: "Netflix has shown a strong, genuine interest in my book and I'm excited about the deal and confident that Netflix will be the perfect place for The Chestnut Man."

Executive Producer at SAM Productions Meta Louise Foldager Sørensen adds: "We are looking very much forward to bringing Søren's amazing international bestseller to the screen, and we are very excited and proud to announce the continuation of our good collaboration with Netflix. The novel has been translated into 28 languages and it's being published in more than 50 countries, we are therefore thrilled to be able to release this original Danish story, in the Danish language, worldwide with Netflix as our partner."

Tesha Crawford, Director Netflix International Originals Northern Europe: "After the success of The Rain, we are excited to announce our next Danish Original which will be building on the great tradition of Nordic Noir. We were instantly compelled by the strong story and Søren's voice. We are happy to continue the collaboration with SAM Productions and are looking forward to bringing The Chestnut Man to our global audience."

The Chestnut Man is a character-driven thriller drama and has its roots in the Nordic Noir genre. The series is composed of six 50-minute episodes and will be produced by SAM Productions. The series is set to launch on Netflix worldwide. Launch date is still to be announced. sveistrup 07sh Les-Kanersveistrup 12sh Les-Kaner

The Chestnut Man - Book Reviews

"If you are one of the millions who enjoyed The Killing, you'll want to read the first novel by its creator. Sveistrup's ability at building tension is evident, and this will undoubtedly make for a compelling television adaptation." - The Guardian

"The Chestnut Man is an incredible novel that drips with atmosphere. This is the perfect potboiler for Nordic noir fanatics and first timers alike. Just don't read it when you are all alone after dark." - New York Journal of Books

"A full-throttle thriller in the tradition of classic Stieg Larsson, drenched in atmosphere and charged with adrenaline. Buckle up. You'll gulp down every word. I loved this book." - A.J. Finn, author of the New York Times bestseller The Woman in the Window

"As in The Killing television series, Sveistrup offers lessons to seasoned practitioners of the serial-killer whodunit in how to inject new energy into this near-exhausted subgenre, and a reminder (via his portrayal of the families, homes and workplaces that his cops visit) that crime writing has the potential to be eye-opening, panoramic social realism." - The Sunday Times

"The Stieg Larsson comparison seem unfair - on Sveistrup. He's quite simply in another league." - Metro (London)

"If you're pining for a dose of Jo Nesbo-style Scandi noir, The Chestnut Man should hit the spot. The twisty, tricksy storyline, delivered in short, sharp chapters that don't let anyone catch their breath, gathers an unstoppable momentum so that 500 pages disappear in a trice - and the ending is satisfyingly grand guignol, with room left for a sequel." - The Times

About SAM Productions:

SAM Productions is a Danish screenwriter-based production company with the ambition of working with the strongest talent from the world of TV series and feature films, creating stories for a large audience both in Denmark and abroad. SAM Productions was founded in 2014 by Søren Sveistrup, Adam Price and Meta Louise Foldager Sørensen in collaboration with STUDIOCANAL.

About Netflix:

Netflix is the world's leading internet entertainment service with over 151 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, documentaries and feature films across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on any internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments.