Harry Hole Director Øystein Karlsen Calls for Scandinavian Cooperation

Norwegian film director Øystein Karlsen, known for his work adapting Jo Nesbø’s Harry Hole crime novels for television, has called for greater collaboration among Scandinavian countries in the production of high-quality television dramas. Speaking in an interview with Dagbladet published on April 19, 2026, Karlsen emphasized that regional cooperation could strengthen the Nordic presence in the global streaming market.

Karlsen, who directed the recent HBO Nordic series based on Nesbø’s novels starring Tobias Santelmann as the titular detective, argued that pooling resources, talent, and funding across Norway, Sweden, and Denmark would allow Scandinavian productions to better compete with international rivals from the UK, the United States, and South Korea. He noted that while each country has strong individual traditions in crime drama and Nordic noir, fragmented efforts limit their collective impact.

“We have the same cultural touchstones, similar production standards, and audiences that understand our storytelling,” Karlsen said. “But right now, we’re often competing against each other for the same grants, talent, and streaming slots. If we coordinated more — through joint funding initiatives, shared writers’ rooms, or cross-border casting — we could create something truly distinctive on the world stage.”

The director pointed to recent successes like the Danish-Swedish co-production The Bridge and the Norwegian-Swedish series Occupied as proof that regional collaboration can yield critically acclaimed and internationally distributed content. He suggested that expanding such models — particularly in the crime and thriller genres where the Nordics have a established reputation — could lead to more sustainable careers for writers, directors, and actors across the region.

Karlsen also highlighted the role of public broadcasters and streaming platforms in facilitating such partnerships. He urged NRK, SVT, and DR to consider long-term co-production agreements, similar to those seen in European film initiatives like Eurimages, to reduce financial risk and increase creative ambition.

While Karlsen’s comments were made in the context of television drama, they reflect broader discussions within Nordic cultural policy about strengthening the region’s creative industries. Industry analysts have noted that Scandinavian content has seen growing demand on global platforms like Netflix and Max, but that production volumes remain modest compared to larger markets.

The call for collaboration comes as several Nordic productions are in development or recently released. Santelmann, who portrayed Harry Hole in the 2024–2025 HBO Nordic series, is set to reprise the role in a second season expected to film in late 2026. Henriette Steenstrup and Linn Skåber, both frequent collaborators in Norwegian film and television, have also been linked to upcoming projects that could benefit from cross-border involvement.

Karlsen’s remarks were not tied to any specific announcement or funding program but were presented as a perspective on how the Scandinavian audiovisual sector might adapt to increasing global competition. As of April 2026, no formal joint initiative has been announced in response to his comments.