Sun rises on SVT, Canal+ copro

French pay TV group Canal+ and Swedish broadcaster SVT have forged what is thought to be the first drama coproduction agreement between the two countries.

Gustaf Hammarsten and Leïla Bekhti star in Midnight Sun

Midnight Sun (Jour Polaire, 8×52′) is being produced by Atlantique Productions, Modern Times Group-owned Nice Drama and Filmpool Nord and will be shot on location this summer in Sweden’s Arctic region. Worldwide distribution will be handled by StudioCanal.

The crime drama has been created by Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein, who were behind Bron/Broen, Underworld Awakening and Shelter, with the duo also set to direct all eight episodes.

The show, based on an idea by Henrik Jansson-Schweizer and Patrick Nebout, follows the work of a detective working at a struggling mining community where a French citizen has been murdered. The story explores how the modern world collides with the ancient and mysterious culture of the indigenous Sami people in the northern reaches of Sweden.

French actress Leïla Bekhti (The Prophet, All that Glitters, The Source) and Gustaf Hammarsten (Bruno, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) take the lead roles.

Fabrice De La Patellière, director of French fiction for Canal+, said the thriller “promises viewers a unique atmosphere” and would be a “prestigious addition to the channel’s collection of original productions.”

Christian Wikander, SVT’s drama chief, added: “Midnight Sun is a universal tale of fighting through the darkness to reach the light, in a world with a strong sense of local connection.”

Executive producers are Olivier Bibas and Patrick Nebout for Atlantique Productions, and Stefan Baron, Mikael Wallen and Henrik Jansson-Schweizer for Nice Drama.