A brand-new, six-episode show, Evil, is set to enter production in Vilnius this week. Based on Jan Guillou’s 1981 bestseller of the same name, the project will be helmed by Erik Leijonborg (the TV series The Last Kingdom and Agent Hamilton) and Daniel Di Grado (the TV series 12:13, Alena), with a screenplay penned by Fredrik T Olsson (the TV series Conspiracy of Silence). The announcement was first reported by Variety.

Evil revolves around a 16-year-old boy, Erik (played by Isac Calmroth), who is used to violence, both at home and at school. When he is expelled from his school in Stockholm owing to his violent behaviour, he is transferred to the Stjernsberg boarding school. This is Erik’s last chance to continue his education and break with his previous life. But at Stjernsberg, the violence is even worse than it is at home. There, evil is put in a system, disguised as the “peer education” of the younger students, which is officially sanctioned by the school.

Already on the train to Stjernsberg, Erik meets Marja (Thea Sofie Loch Naess), who works as a cook at the boarding school. Her self-assurance and strength captivate Erik completely. All contact between staff and students is strictly prohibited, and results in immediate expulsion. Despite this risk, they cannot help but start a secret relationship, but it is not just Marja who has had her eyes opened to Erik at school. Can he stop generations of violence and choose another path?

“We aim to create a series that brings out close and strong emotions, and which, at the same time, is a great, rich story. We are convinced that this description of violence and oppression is relevant today, but we also want to investigate the possibility of methods other than violence to combat violence. Furthermore, we will show how the school’s violent structures undermine a young, flourishing but forbidden love affair, but also highlight how the two manage to influence each other to break free from the negative patterns they are stuck in,” said Tobias Åström, producer at SF Studios.

“Jan Guillou’s novel Evil is constantly relevant, perhaps more now than it has been in a very long time. Breaking with violent behaviours requires great individual courage. Examining and questioning masculinity is our responsibility. The series Evil does just that, but it is also a beautiful love story, and in the end, there is hope. We are very happy that we are getting the opportunity to collaborate with SF Studios and Erik Leijonborg, and to release the 2020s version of this successful novel,” added Piodor Gustafsson, director of Nordic Drama for TV4 Media and C More.

Gustaf Skarsgård (The Emigrants [+leggi anche:
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scheda film], the TV series Vikings), who starred in Mikael Håfström’s 2003 film of the same name, Evil, will play Erik’s father. Other cast members include Ruth Vega Fernandez, Jens Hultén, Alexander Gustavsson, Christian Fandango, Saga Sarkola and Simon Norrthon.

Evil is being staged by SF Studios, with producer Tobias Åström, in co-production with TV4 and C More. The executive producer at C More and TV4 is Petra Ahlin. REinvent is in charge of its international sales. The show is set to premiere on C More in 2023.