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Viaplay announces ‘There’s Something Going On’ as next original film

May 25, 2022

The latest feature film in Viaplay’s ongoing investment in unique Nordic storytelling is ‘There’s Something Going On’, a Swedish drama that explores universal themes of love, angst and the search for oneself.

The main character, Petra, is portrayed at two turning points in her life by Alexandra Rapaport (Viaplay’s ‘Honour’; ‘The Hunt’) and Ella Hammarsten Liedberg (‘Badehotellet’) in her first film role, alongside an all-star supporting cast. ‘There’s Something Going On’ is based on bestselling novels by Martina Haag, who makes her directorial debut, and will premiere exclusively on Viaplay in 2023.

The film weaves Petra’s story from two emotionally charged threads – the protagonist as a contemporary 50-year-old struggling through a divorce, and as a 15-year-old in the 1980s nearing the end of school while facing up to her own parents’ disintegrating relationship.

Rapaport commented: “This is a dream project. I read Martina’s book and completely identified with the emotions involved. At the audition, I started to choke up when reading some of the lines. It’ll be exciting to find a common physical language with Ella that visualises the way we all carry our experiences through life.”

Haag said: “The original books have been appreciated by readers and I hope the film will be equally well-received. It’s a story of grief and darkness, but there’s also humour and the joy of rediscovering oneself.”

Filippa Wallestam, Viaplay Group Chief Content Officer. added: “Our next major film project will strike a chord with audiences in Sweden, the Nordic region and internationally – in fact, with everyone who’s ever loved or been loved. We’ve brought together a world-class team to tell this instantly recognisable story through an unusual narrative structure. Viaplay continues to set ourselves apart with our investment in unique streaming experiences.”

Shanti Roney (‘The Unlikely Murderer’), Gustaf Hammarsten (‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’), Jessica Liedberg (‘Together’) and Adrian Macéus (‘The Truth Will Out’) all feature in the film, with additional talents to be announced in due course. Shooting is currently underway in Stockholm.

‘There’s Something Going On’ (Swedish title: ‘Det är något som inte stämmer’) is written by Martina Haag (‘Wonderful and Loved by All’) and Peter Arrhenius (‘Clark’), and is produced by Calle Jansson and Mathias Gruffman at Bigster, with Sara Askelöf and Helena Larand as executive producers for Viaplay. The film is distributed globally by Viaplay Content Sales.

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