Viaplay, Emelie Schepp partner on Jana – Marked for Life
November 22, 2022
Viaplay’s next Swedish thriller series will be ‘Jana – Marked for Life’, based on a bestselling novel by Emelie Schepp about public prosecutor and former child soldier Jana Berzelius. Created and directed by the acclaimed duo Felix Herngren (the Oscar-nominated ‘The 100 Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared’) and Henrik Björn (the Kristallen winner ‘Jordskott’) and produced by FLX in co-production with Viaplay, the six-part show is set to premiere exclusively on Viaplay in autumn 2023.
Viewers meet Jana during an investigation into the murder of a high-ranking official at the Swedish Migration Agency. When the main suspect is also found dead, Jana immediately recognises something on his scarred body. To understand her own traumatic past, Jana must reach the killer ahead of the police.
‘Jana – Marked for Life’ is scripted by Maria Karlsson (‘Snabba Cash’), Daniel Sawka (‘Icebox’) and Charlotte Lesche (‘The Lawyer’). The series will shoot this autumn in Norrköping and Stockholm, and on-screen talents will be announced shortly.
Emelie Schepp: “I’m honoured and happy that my books about Jana Berzelius will become a Viaplay series. It’s a privilege to work with Felix Herngren and Henrik Björn, and FLX has done a brilliant job with the casting. I can’t wait to see the result.”
Filippa Wallestam, Viaplay Group Chief Content Officer: “There are good reasons why Emelie Schepp has been named Sweden’s top thriller writer three years in a row and sold over 3 million books across 30 countries. Her stories are taut and unsettling, and Jana is an intriguing character. With Viaplay soon available directly to Nordic noir fans in 13 countries, this is an ideal time for Emelie’s unique heroine to step onto the screen.”
The series (Swedish title: ‘Jana – Märkta för livet’) is supported by Norrköpings Filmfond and is produced by Sussan Treschow at FLX, with Elin Kvist at FLX, Erik Barmack at Wild Sheep, Martin Rea at Reaz and Lotta Dolk at Viaplay Group as executive producers. Viaplay Content Distribution handles global sales.