Mikael Persbrandt also stars in Hallstrom’s adaptation of Lars Kepler’s international bestseller.
COLOGNE, Germany – Oscar-nominated actress Lena Olin and Finnish actor Tobias Zilliacus have joined the cast of The Hypnotist, the Swedish crime drama based on the Lars Kepler bestseller which Lasse Hallstrom (The Cider House Rules) will direct.
Lasse Hallstrom Gears Up for His First-Ever Thriller, 'The Hypnotist' (Berlin)Lasse Hallstrom to Shoot 'The Hypnotist,' First Swedish Film in 24 YearsMikael Persbrandt, star of this year’s Oscar winner In A Better World and a supporting player in Peter Jackson’s upcoming The Hobbit films, co-stars as the titular memorizer, hypnotist Dr. Erik Maria Bark. Olin, whose credits include Chocolat and The Unbearable Lightness of Being, will play his wife, Simone. Zilliacus, who is best know for television work in Finland, will play the film’s protagonist, detective inspector Joona Linna. Zilliacus has signed on to play detective Linna in a planned eight-feature franchise from producers Svensk Filmindustri and Sonet Film.
The Hypnotist, which begins principle photography in Stockholm in January, will be Hallstrom’s first Swedish film in 24 years. The film’s theatrical bow in Sweden is planned for October, 2012.
The Hypnotist is the first in a planned series of eight Joona Linna novels from Lars Kepler – a pseudonym for Swedish husband and wife authors Alexander Ahndoril and Alexandra Coelho Ahndoril. The third novel in the series was recently published in Sweden. Svensk and Sonet have optioned all eight books in the series for feature adaptations.
