The beloved classic The Scarab Flies at Dusk, written by Maria Gripe, is being adapted for the screen with filming commencing in May 2024. The drama will be produced by Nordic Drama Queens, a FIFTH SEASON backed company, and is set to be broadcast by SVT and SVT Play in Sweden in 2025. The project was unveiled today during the Göteborg Film Festival’s TV Drama Vision conference.

The cast for the compelling family adventure series will include Tomas von Brömssen (Albert & Herbert, My Life as a Dog), Pernilla August (‘The Best Intentions’, Blackwater) Dag Malmberg (The Bridge) and Lena Endre (‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’, ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’). FIFTH SEASON is handling worldwide sales on the series.

The script for The Scarab Flies at Dusk is written by celebrated authors Ditta Bongenhielm (Bonus Family, Höök) and Lovisa Milles (Jordskott, The Restaurant) with the internationally acclaimed director Atle Knudsen (Afterglow, Zombie Lars) also at the helm of the project. 

The Scarab Flies at Dusk will be filmed in Västra Götaland and produced by Nordic Drama Queens in collaboration with SVT, Film i Väst, TV2 Norway, Monster AS and DR (Danmarks Radio) in association with FIFTH SEASON as the global distributor, and with funding from the Norwegian Film Institute and the Nordic Film & TV Fund. Producers are Nordic Drama Queen’s Helen Ahlsson and Josefine Tengblad, and the Executive Producers are Line Winther Skyum Funch for Nordic Drama Queens and Cathrine Simonsen for Monster AS.

Set in the small Swedish town of Ringaryd in Småland during the summer of 1976, The Scarab Flies at Dusk follows three children – David, Annika and Jonas – who are drawn into a mystery involving a 3000-year-old cursed Egyptian statue, which has been hidden at the old Selanderska estate for centuries. It becomes an unforgettable summer filled with love, adventure, and a mystery larger than they could ever imagine.

The children are portrayed by Hjalmar Löfmark Yilmaz, Moa Nåsander, and Einar Alvarado Lönberg.

Helen Ahlsson, Producer at Nordic Drama Queens, said: “Our ambition with The Scarab Flies at Dusk is to transform this beloved classic, into a modern and top-class drama that will bring the whole family together for an emotional ride. We have a remarkable and deeply passionate team on board, both behind and in front of the camera, and we can’t wait to collaborate with them to bring this uplifting and hopeful summer adventure to life for the screen. At the heart of the series will be the theme that everything we do matters and that everything is connected – including humans, nature and ecology – and we hope this message will resonate with audiences worldwide during these challenging times.”

The Scarab Flies at Dusk was originally created as a radio theater in 1976 by Maria Gripe and the Academy Award® nominated Kay Pollak (As It Is in Heaven). Maria Gripe’s novel was based on the same story and released in 1978, becoming an instant classic, which has been reissued many times. It has received numerous accolades, such as the Astrid Lindgren prize and the Nils Holgersson Plaque. In 1979, it was adapted into a radio play in Norway by NRK. Both the Norwegian and Swedish radio series were immensely popular, with the series being named the best radio drama of all time in Norway. 

Director Atle Knudsen commented: “The Scarab Flies at Dusk has occupied me since I was 10 years old and listened to the radio serial while we were driving through Sweden during our summer vacation. It had its own atmosphere, and there’s something timeless and deeply Nordic about the story. Finally, we are going to turn this amazing story into a grand series for the whole family.”

Anna Croneman, Head of Drama at SVT, added: “We are thrilled to ‘press the button’ for The Scarab Flies at Dusk and look forward to introducing this classic to a new generation. The project has attracted an exceptional cast, including Tomas von Brömssen as Priest Lindroth, making us confident in the project’s high quality.”