NENT Group and Filmlance adapt “Ronja the Robber’s Daughter”

Nordic Entertainment Group (NENT Group) and Filmlance International, a Banijay company, are partnering with The Astrid Lindgren Company to adapt Astrid Lindgren’s world-famous story “Ronja the Robber’s Daughter” into a major Viaplay Original family fantasy series. Scripted by “The Bridge” creator Hans Rosenfeldt, directed by Lisa James Larsson and featuring groundbreaking visual effects, “Ronja” will premiere exclusively on NENT Group’s Viaplay streaming service from 2023 with 12 episodes across two seasons.

“Ronja the Robber’s Daughter” is one of the best-known books by Astrid Lindgren, who is among the world’s most translated and best-selling authors with more than 75 books published. Her work has been translated into over 100 languages and sold more than 165 million copies, and has been adapted for more than 70 feature films and TV productions.

The series follows the adventures of a young girl born into a band of robbers in a medieval Scandinavian fortress. As Ronja grows up, she learns that the surrounding forest can be a magical and sometimes dangerous place filled with strange creatures. But when Ronja befriends the young boy Birk from a rival band, a vicious family feud ignites, at the same time as a notorious bailiff arrives to rid the area of robbers once and for all. Ronja and Birk flee into the forest and try to survive on their own.

“Ronja’s confidence and complexity make her one of my all-time favourite characters. This classic story of a strong and independent girl was always far ahead of its time, and its themes of friendship, closeness to nature and questioning one’s assumptions are so relevant today. It is a privilege to work with such a top-class creative team to bring ‘Ronja’ to Viaplay viewers around the world, and this project shows just how quickly our ambitions are growing. For a Nordic storyteller like NENT Group, adapting an Astrid Lindgren work is as big as it gets,”  said Filippa Wallestam, Chief Content Officer at NENT Group.

Cilla Nergårdh, CEO of The Astrid Lindgren Company, added: “Artistic quality is the number one priority for The Astrid Lindgren Company. We always strive to partner with the best creators, just as Astrid Lindgren did in her time. We have worked closely with the creative team on this project and have no doubt that this new version of ‘Ronja the Robber’s Daughter’ will fully live up to our high ambitions”.

Lastly, Mattias Arehn and Bonnie Skoog Feeney, producers for Filmlance, concluded: “We’ve grown up with 'Ronja' just like so many others, and we are extremely proud and humbled by this huge undertaking. The story of 'Ronja' is a timeless story about the struggles to find your own place in the world, go your own way and be your own person. All of this in a world that is complicated, dangerous but also wonderful and magical. With the huge support we have received from NENT Group, we want to produce a series that is an epic and thrilling adventure, an homage to nature, for the entire family”.