Nordic Blue Crime Hit 'Hildur' Sells to Canal+ France and SBS Australia

Cineflix Rights has sold the six-part Nordic blue crime series "Hildur" to Canal+ in France, SBS in Australia, NPO in the Netherlands, RTV in Slovenia and LTV in Latvia, the London-based distributor announced as Mipcom kicked off in Cannes.

The deals follow the show's performance in its co-commissioning territories. On Icelandic streamer Síminn, "Hildur" rates among the biggest local dramas ever. In Finland, it streams on Nelonen Media's platform Ruutu.

The series is based on Finnish author Satu Rämö's novels, which have sold more than 2 million copies across 30 territories.

"Following its success in Finland and Iceland, we're delighted to be rolling the series out internationally with these deals," Cineflix Rights CEO Tim Mutimer said.

What makes 'Hildur' a 'Nordic Blue' thriller?

Mutimer described the show's appeal: "'Hildur' is the perfect example of the distinctive 'Nordic Blue' genre: a gripping police thriller that delivers not only crime and mystery, but also explores bigger themes of friendship, family, love, humor, and the emotional fallout of loss, all set against the atmospheric setting of Iceland's Westfjords."

Finnish head writer Matti Laine ("Bordertown," "The Paradise") adapted the series with Icelandic co-writer Margret Örnolfsdottir ("Trapped," "The Valhalla Murders").

The cast includes:

• Ebba Katrín Finnsdóttir, a recent Nordic Freya Award winner, as detective Hildur, who surfs to heal past traumas while investigating a series of murders
• Lauri Tikkanen ("Deadwind") as Finnish trainee officer Jakob, who has a soft spot for knitting
• An actor from "Das Boot" as Florian, a German officer mistakenly assigned to Hildur's team

Who produced and sold the series?

Finland's Take Two Studios and Iceland's Sagafilm — the producer behind Cineflix's earlier Icelandic hit "The Minister" — co-produced the premium series, in association with private funder IPR.VC.

Cineflix Rights executives Sabrina Ayala, Lucy Rawson and Chris Bluett brokered the sales to France, Slovenia, Latvia and Australia. Lumiere, which holds Benelux rights, facilitated the Dutch deal with NPO.

Cineflix Rights, also the distributor of International Emmy winner "Tehran" and BBC hit "The Walsh Sisters," brings further IP-based scripted titles to Mipcom, including the crime procedural "Anna Pigeon" (USA Network, Bell Media), based on Nevada Barr's mysteries, and "The Walsh Sisters" (RTÉ, BBC), inspired by Marian Keyes's novels.

With five new territories secured before the Cannes market has fully opened, "Hildur" now positions Rämö's literary franchise — and the "Nordic Blue" label — for a wider international rollout.