Fewer film titles are becoming top-grossing box office hits, and large distribution businesses like Nordisk Film will have to re-gear themselves to this trend. ‘In future, we believe our business will be a mix of production and distribution that combines the best of both worlds. We work closely with both our own film production units and our excellent partners in the Nordic film environment. We have enormous consumer insight, which we, along with our producers, will use to develop the best creative output. We will also build market share in the growing digital market,’ explains Kenneth Wiberg, general manager of Nordisk Film Distribution.
Whereas the distribution business in the past bought up to 100 international films annually for Nordic distribution, now only about 35 titles make the cut. ‘Our purchasing has grown more selective, and we are also assuming the role of coproducer for Nordic blockbusters. These new strategic elements give us clout and negotiating power as regards the retail trade – our customers and a sector currently undergoing major consolidation,’ says Kenneth Wiberg.
The huge importance of Nordic blockbusters is mounting steadily. This is what consumers want, and the pressure from big-budget Hollywood productions is great. Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy is an example of a co-production that fully follows Nordisk Film’s strategy in the area. Both Nordisk Film and its co-production partners have a keen focus on the crime genre, which holds enormous potential. Lone Korslund, Nordic acquisitions manager, explains: ‘Inspired by the Millennium trilogy, we are focusing on major Nordic films with pan-Nordic potential. This can lead to bigger production budgets, thus attracting the best creative talent in Scandinavia and enabling massive marketing campaigns in the Nordic region. We are currently working with Yellowbird, a Swedish drama production company, regarding Jo Nesbø’s Headhunters, which has finished shooting and is due for release in the autumn of 2011. We will also be working with the same partner to co-produce six films based on Liza Marklund’s books. The first, Nobel’s Testament will be a feature film slated for spring 2012. We have more big Nordic projects in the pipeline, and we want Nordisk Film to be a natural choice of co-production partner and distributor, because we have extensive experience and can lift each film to another level because we embody the entire value chain.’
‘Our greatest ambition is to be the most attractive distribution partner in the Nordic region. We have everything it takes to capture and retain that position. We are also well on the way to becoming the natural choice of partner for major Nordic co-productions. Because even though we’re a big company, we know what is best for each individual film. That’s where we add value and that’s the benchmark we want to be measured against,’ Kenneth Wiberg concludes.
