Nordisk Film acquires rights to Adler-Olsen’s ‘Department Q’ series

Leading Scandinavian film company Nordisk Film, owned by Egmont, has acquired the remaining Danish language adaptation rights to Danish crime author Jussi Adler-Olsen’s international bestselling ‘Department Q’ series. Nordisk Film now holds the rights from the fifth book (‘The Marco Effect’) onwards. 

So far, Adler-Olsen has written six books in the series, and he is currently working on number seven. When finished, the ‘Department Q’ series will comprise ten volumes and Nordisk Film therefore expects to produce up to six films.

“For a couple of years we have been developing an international film based on Jussi Adler-Olsen’s first thriller, ‘Alphabet House’, during this time we have had a very productive dialogue with Jussi Adler-Olsen which has led to this great opportunity materializing. The ‘Department Q’ series have a large, global readership and our ambition is to make a series of films aimed at a broad and international audience,” says Henrik Zein, CEO at Nordisk Film Production. 

It is still too early in the creative process to announce the director, writer and cast but Jussi Adler-Olsen is convinced that Nordisk Film is an ideal partner: 

“My readers have strong opinions on the characters and the entire ‘Department Q’ universe. An adaptation has to be true to the books. I have a friendship with Nordisk Film that strengthens my belief that they will be able to produce films that I will be proud to put my name to,” says Jussi Adler-Olsen. 

Nordisk Film’s associated company, Zentropa, holds the adaptation rights to the first four ‘Department Q’ books. ‘The Keeper of Lost Causes’, ‘The Absent One’ and ‘A Conspiracy of Faith’ have been released, while the fourth film, an adaptation of ‘The Purity of Vengeance’, is expected to be released within a year or two. Thereafter, the Nordisk Film produced ‘Department Q’ films – starting with ”The Marco Effect” – will be released.