According to The Hollywood Reporter, Felix Herngren’s comedy The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window And Disappeared is poised for a remake in the U.S., donning a similar trajectory to another best-selling book adaptation, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011).
Jonas Jonasson’s novel about a 100-year-old man, Allan Karlsson, as he journeys around the world to start a new life, has sold over 4 million copies. Feeling confined in a nursing home and wanting more access to vodka, the story details how he connects to civilians of the 20th century.
The film version was released on Christmas in Sweden, and is also aiming for worldwide success. Swedish box office records have earned over $20 million since opening. It subsequently grossed close to $30 million across the rest of the Nordic region. Hollywood’s tie to the Nordic region will continue to grow, as more talent seems to be emerging.
From the late Oscar-winning Ingrid Bergman (Gaslight, Joan of Arc, For Whom the Bell Tolls, and Casablanca), to Alexander Skarsgard (True Blood) to Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones), Scandanavian stars continue to demonstrate their international appeal. Additionally, Scandinavian crime stories have recently been thriving, as the novels from Jo Nesbo, Henning Mankell, and Stieg Larssson have triggered the film industry to seek new film adaptations.
The success of The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared may have something to do with an exceptional cast, set design, and cinematography. The star, Robert Gustafsson is well known for his humor in Sweden. Although it has an elaborate set design, Herngren has described using a simplistic filming style, “I shot it like a straight drama, I tried to tone down any sketch-like comedy.” The less detailed approach to comedy should appeal to American audiences. The film’s theme of growing old while still living life to its fullest, is expected to be understood globally.
This could be a great opportunity for the Nordic Region to attain international comical recognition, following David Fincher’s American adaptation of Niels Arden Oplev’s Swedish drama, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2009). According to Hollywood Reporter, The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared can be compared to, “Forrest Gump with vodka.” Herngren has been involved with ongoing negotiations regarding a U.S. remake and we are hoping for a deal to be made soon.
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