Internationally acclaimed Norwegian filmmaker Erik Poppe (“Utoya- July 22,” “Quisling,” “1,000 Times Goodnight”) has started filming in Norway the relationship drama “Bad Moon Rising” (working title), based on the only original script by 2023 Nobel Prize in Literature winner Jon Fosse.
“Jon is a huge name in the U.S., Japan and Europe. It’s exciting to work with him and my regular producer at Paradox [Finn Gjerdrum] and SF Studios,” Poppe told Variety.
The story turns on a couple in their early thirties, Asle and Gerd, who live with their son in a small coastal town, Western Norway. For a time, their relationship is perfect, but soon Asle the sailor feels restless, drawn by the call of the sea, leaving Gerd alone with their child in the village. Cracks start to appear in their relationship, tested by distance.
“I was surprised when I read Jon’s script for the first time,” said Poppe. “It is typical Fosse in every line, but at the same time, more open and inviting than parts of his [literary] drama.” For the filmmaker, the challenge here lies in “conveying the unsaid, when language gradually ceases between people who are close to each other; how to create a strong and seductive film experience of silence, glances and pauses.”
In the title roles as Asle and Gerd are two relative newcomers on the international stage: Leo de la Nuez who appeared in NRK’s romcom “For Evy & Always” and HBO’s “Beforeigners,” and theate actress Kristi-Helene Engberg, seen in Gunnar Vikene’s “War Sailor.”
“Leo and Kristi-Helene are young and relatively unknown to a larger audience, but they are enormous talents that I have followed with interest over time,” Poppe said. “Through their sensitive but wise approach to Jon Fosse’s view of the world, they bring out a naturalness in rhythm and dialogues that will open up Fosse’s drama to even more people out there.”
Another crucial element for the director of “The Emigrants,” is the dramatic setting of the Hardangerfjord – the fifth longest fjord in the world – and “the windswept landscape of Stadlandet [Western Norway] that become a character in themselves. Not as a postcard, but as a brutally beautiful backdrop for an intimate and universal story,” Poppe observed.
The film is being produced by Poppe’s long-time partner Finn Gjerdrum for SF Studios’ Norwegian banner Paradox, with backing from the Norwegian Film Institute, Zefyr Media Fund, Film i Väst, Nordisk Film & TV Fond and Storyline. SF Studios which holds Nordic rights will release the film in 2026.
Reinvent International handles world sales.
“We’re incredibly proud to represent ‘Bad Moon Rising’ on the international stage. Erik Poppe is one of the most distinctive voices in Scandinavian cinema, and this new film underscores his ambition and artistry. It’s a powerful, globally relevant story that we believe will resonate strongly with audiences and buyers,” said Reinvent Sales and Marketing Director Helene Aurø.
Poppe’s previous film, “Quisling-The Final Days,” about the infamous Norwegian prime minister and Nazi collaborator Vidkun Quisling, was sold by REinvent to multiple territories including the US, Canada, Benelux and Australia.
Bad Moon Rising
Credit: Helge Skodvin, Paradox, SF Studios
