Netflix announced today its second Original series from Denmark: The Chestnut Man, based on the novel by Søren Sveistrup, the creator of the hit series The Killing.
In print, The Chestnut Man is the the debut novel by BAFTA and Robert Festival awards-winning screenwriter Søren Sveistrup (The Killing, The Day Will Come, Below the Surface).
On screen it is the second Danish Netflix Original series (after The Rain) — a character-driven thriller with roots in Nordic Noir.
Said Sveistrup about the series: “Netflix has shown a strong, genuine interest in my book and I’m excited about the deal and confident that Netflix will be the perfect place for The Chestnut Man.”
The Chestnut Man is set in the quiet suburb of Copenhagen, where the police make a terrible discovery on a blustery October morning: a young woman is found brutally murdered on a playground, and one of her hands is missing. Above her hangs a small figure of a man made out of chestnuts.
The ambitious young detective Naia Thulin is assigned to the case, along with her new partner, Mark Hess. They soon discover a mysterious piece of evidence on the chestnut man — evidence connecting it to a girl who went missing a year earlier and was presumed dead: the daughter of politician Rosa Hartung.
Comprised of six 50-minute episodes, The Chestnut Man is a project of SAM Productions (which is also behind the upcoming Norwegian Netflix Original series Ragnarok). Production is slated to begin in Denmark in 2020, and the series will debut exclusively on Netflix worldwide. The launch date is yet to be announced.
The novel has been published in more than 50 countries and translated into 28 languages. Here is a selection of book reviews for The Chestnut Man:
“If you are one of the millions who enjoyed The Killing, you’ll want to read the first novel by its creator. Sveistrup’s ability at building tension is evident, and this will undoubtedly make for a compelling television adaptation.” — The Guardian
“The Chestnut Man is an incredible novel that drips with atmosphere. This is the perfect potboiler for Nordic noir fanatics and first timers alike. Just don’t read it when you are all alone after dark.” — New York Journal of Books
“A full-throttle thriller in the tradition of classic Stieg Larsson, drenched in atmosphere and charged with adrenaline. Buckle up. You’ll gulp down every word. I loved this book.” — A.J. Finn, author of the New York Times bestseller The Woman in the Window
“As in The Killing television series, Sveistrup offers lessons to seasoned practitioners of the serial-killer whodunit in how to inject new energy into this near-exhausted subgenre, and a reminder (via his portrayal of the families, homes and workplaces that his cops visit) that crime writing has the potential to be eye-opening, panoramic social realism.” — The Sunday Times
“The Stieg Larsson comparison seem unfair – on Sveistrup. He’s quite simply in another league.” — Metro (London)
“If you’re pining for a dose of Jo Nesbo-style Scandi noir, The Chestnut Man should hit the spot. The twisty, tricksy storyline, delivered in short, sharp chapters that don’t let anyone catch their breath, gathers an unstoppable momentum so that 500 pages disappear in a trice – and the ending is satisfyingly grand guignol, with room left for a sequel.” — The Times
Stay tuned for updates.
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